Superstitions
by thesupernaturaltribe
Summary: Sam and Dean have spent their whole lives on the road, hunting things and saving people, doing the family business. After the end of the Apocalypse, the Winchesters try to find their way back to the old and calmer routine they had before the end of the world started. But what if they didn't have to be alone, just the two of them? - Samuel Winchester x OC
1. Chapter 1 The night before Christmas

**Chapter 1 – The night before Christmas**

December 23h, 1997.

It was close to midnight, and the little 10 year old girl was sleeping in the couch, with her head resting on her brother's legs. He was watching some horror movie, no sound, so he wouldn't wake up his little sister. Their mother had asked a thousand times that night for them to go to bed and just sleep, but the little girl refused so the young boy wouldn't go either. With all the bad things out there, there was no way he was going to leave her alone downstairs. Although the house was evil proof, there is always some ugly monster capable of getting inside their home.

The thirteen old boy had one hand on the remote and the other on the side of the couch, holding a hidden rifle. If anything bad walked in that door, you could be pretty damn sure that it wouldn't walk out, at least not by its own legs.

The mother was in the kitchen, waiting. Her husband hadn't come home for a few weeks. And he hadn't called either. She was starting to get scared. What if he was hurt somewhere, with no way to call for help? What if the thing he was hunting caught him first? What if he was hunt down, like an animal, by the same animals he killed every day? What if her kids had no father, not anymore, what if she was a widow and they had no freaking idea?

She took a deep breath and took the cookies out of the woven. Fresh baked gingerbread cookies for her daughter to decorate. She felt so stupid baking cookies when she had no idea where her husband was, but it was Christmas and her little daughter loved to decorate cookies so she could present them to the two men in her life saying she helped mommy make them. Dad and son would take a bite and say they were amazing, that the little girl did a great job. She would smile and then go with mom to the kitchen and make a gingerbread house together.

The little girl made a sound and then moved, like she was about to wake up. Her brother looked out the window; he had heard a familiar car. "Hey, wake up." The girl opened her eyes: "Is it daddy?". "Yes", said the young boy, "go on, go meet him at the door like you always do."

And as always, she ran to the door and opened it as her dad climbed up the porch stairs, under the Christmas snow. She jumped to his lap and daddy held her tight in his arms. Oh, how much he missed his little girl! The man, who had fought so many horrible things in his life, started crying. Silently, he started to cry. He almost died on that hunting trip. The monster he was hunting almost killed him. If he had died that night, the night before Christmas, his kids would no longer have their dad to teach them how to survive in such a horrible place. If he had died on that hunting trip, his baby girl would never have seen her dad again.

"Did you kill it, daddy?"

"Yes, baby, I killed it." Said the man, happy he was finally home. Michael Colt was finally home.


	2. Chapter 2 Baby Says

**Chapter 2 – Baby says**

September 21st, 2013

The sun had risen a few hours before Sam Winchester was woken up by the alarm clock in that motel room. It was the tenth time Sammy woke up in that same motel room, tenth time in a row. There was no case worth following so the Winchesters decided to take some time off from the family business. Sam turned the alarm clock, and did his ten day old routine. He took a leak, got dressed, drunk some orange juice and left the motel for a quick run.

It was weird how everything was back to what it used to be. He was on the road with his big brother, hunting things and saving people: the family business. He still had nightmares, sometimes, about the Apocalypse, about having to fight against his own brother instead of fighting beside him. Sometimes he still had nightmares about being a monster, about being one of the things he was taught to kill.

Samuel Winchester put the earphones on and just ran the exact same path he ran the past 10 days.

The sun was shining high and all the birds were singing, on top of the trees, like they were on top of the world. It was a simple town and everything was equally simples, everything was just beautiful. Everyone knew each other and if they didn't it surely look like so because everyone would smile and say hi to those who passed by. Sam Winchester ran until he found the town's square: a park, with some benches and an old bronze statue, surrounded by stores of all kinds. There was an antique shop, a coffee shop and a diner, a boutique and so many other things.

The exact same people were there, the exact same people in the exact 10 days. At least, most of them were. An old couple would sit every morning by fountain and just talk and laugh. After all those years of marriage, they still had so much to talk about, they still had so many reasons to smile and laugh for. Business man would line up, some at the coffee cart, other at the coffee shop, to get their morning caffeine before heading to work, as they did 5 days per week. The owner of the antique shop would run across the square, in her high heels: she as late every single morning to open up.

And then, by the drinking fountain, on the corner of the beautiful and peaceful square, there was always the same girl. Sam say her almost every day, he had seen her before, in that same spot, drinking water while taking a break from her jogging, 7 times – this was the 8th.

She was wearing grey tight leggings and a green sweatshirt. Her curly reddish brown hair was thigh on a long and hypnotizing pony tail. She was about 5'2'' and very elegant, small sized; extra small, maybe. She suddenly turned and looked around, like she was expecting someone who was late. When their eyes met, his blue ones almost got lost on her golden stare. She started running and Sam followed her. They ran at full speed and, although she ran very fast, it didn't take long for Samuel to catch up and, when he did, they both slowed down until they stopped at the very same time.

– What the hell, Marie. Where you running from me? – He asked, with a smile on his

face.

– If I was, I wouldn't have stopped silly. – She answered, trying not to show how tired

she was, trying to control her breathing. – I was just trying to see how bad you would follow me.

– Well, you got me. – He played, while, at the same time and without her knowing, speaking the very truth. – I would follow you to the end of the earth.

– Dumb ass. – She said, just joking around.

– So, how was work yesterday? And the day before? – He asked, as they started walking beside each other.

– Normal, it as work, you know, normal nurse stuff.

– How is working 24 hours in a row normal?

– I know what this is.

– What is what? - He smiled, predicting she was about to make a joke again.

- You missed me.

- What does that have to do with anything?

- Nothing. – She smiled. – But it's true.

He laughed and looked up to the skies. Crap, he had been caught.

- So… Are you working tonight?

- God forbid! I just worked 24 hours in a row, boy, I deserve a damn break.

- Are you… Doing something tonight?

- No… - She smiled at him, interested in what he would say next.

- Would you like to have dinner with me? – He choked, stumbling on his own words. Weirdly, he was nervous.

Finally revealing a little of her shy side, she blushed and tried to play it cool:

- Thought you'd never ask.

- Is that a yes? – He asked, just to make sure.

She rolled over her eyes, with a smile on her face. Her cheeks were still painted in a rose color and she had this happy look on her face…

- Yes Sam, that's a yes.


	3. Chapter 3 All the right moves

Chapter 3 – All the right moves

Samuel Winchester, the 30-year-old man, had met Marie Colt, a 26-year-old nurse, on September 11, 2013, by the end of the summer. They met Wednesday morning, on Sam's first run in that small city. They connected immediately. She thought he was attractive. He thought the exact same thing about her. She was a little shy, in certain situations. He was nice to her. They became friends immediately, like they had known each other for years, like they had so many things in common and, well, they did. The trust was basically immediate, to a certain point. The chemistry was palpable, but it took Sam 10 days to finally ask her out.

After their work out, Marie headed back home, while Sam went to his motel room. They would meet at 8, in front of "The Willow Tree" restaurant, the only formal restaurant in Owl Falls.

When she got home, she went to the kitchen, grabbed some oranges and made some juice. Then, when walking to the fridge, she found a yellow post-it, a note from her roommate:

« Tommy needed me. I'll keep in touch, don't worry. I'll be back in 2 days. »

'Yeah right', she thought. Two days always meant two weeks in her roommate's language. That note was two days old. She hadn't received one single call; there was no 'keeping in touch'. That was always a lie, when told by her best friend, at least when it involved Tommy. But you know what? This time she didn't care. Her best friend could come back next month for all she cared; she was tired of that shit. Always leaving without saying something. Always leaving at last-minute, for days, weeks, months, sometimes without a single phone call. She did not deserve that. They were best friends. And, although she had said a thousand times she could not do it without her best friend, sometimes… Sometimes it felt like she had to.

After lunch, she decided to take a little nap. She was still tired of the past two days. She worked 24 hours in a row, starting at 8:00am, September 19th. Then, after leaving work the morning after, she slept for two hours at the house and went to help Alison – one of her friends – get everything ready for Carl's surprise birthday party. She got home at 1am, slept until 7 and then went for a run in town, to meet her most recent and most mysterious friend: Samuel Winchester.

When she woke up, she got ready: peacock-blue dress, sweetheart neckline with lace to the neck with red pump shoes, black trench coat. She did a pretty basic make up look, like she did every day before going to work. Yet, Sam had never seen her with make up on, because he had only been with her during her jogging time. She put some perfume on, grabbed her purse and left the apartment.

She decided to walk to the restaurant, since it wasn't that far. It was a slightly cool evening, the first night of autumn. The sky was clear and the moon was shining bright, alongside with all the stars in the dark. The street was silent. There were only some cars passing by. Some groups of people on their way to the annual city fair. You could also hear the music from the same fair, and all the noises, but barely.

Sam Winchester was by the restaurant's entrance, outside, waiting. He then looked to the other side of the road and saw her. She crossed the road, carefully, with a smile on her face. The wind blew her hair a little, almost in slow motion, and she used her hand to take it away from her face.

You could hear the sound of her high heels marking her pace. She walked at a normal speed, but there was something in the sound of her steps that indicated she was restless to get there.

- Marie, hi! – Said Sam, excited and nervous at the same time, as she was close enough to hear it. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and she smiled.

- Hey Sam. – She answered, almost in a whisper.

- You look… beautiful. – He gasped, as he admired her.

- Well, thank you sir. – You could sense a laugh in her words and a discrete laugh was what came out of Sam's mouth when she bowed, thanking him like a lady from medieval ages.

- You're welcome, mi lady. – He replied, with the same nice but playful tone in his voice she usually had when saying stuff like that. – My arm, mi lady.

She smiled, and grabbed his arm, as they both walked inside the restaurant.

He had the steak with a side of vegetables and Marie had the roasted duck with orange and some green vegetables. They talked for two hours, the exact time their dinner lasted. They kept some secrets, only God knew the secrets they kept. Sam Winchester did not tell her about the family business. He did not tell much about the last years he spent with his brother, did not tell her what they did together. From Jessica's death to the end of the Apocalypse she only knew he and his brother went on a road trip. She knew, also, that his father died a year or so after Jessica. After that dinner, Marie knew that and so many other things: what kind of songs he liked, movies, how he had put aside his dream of having a family because "things don't seem to work out as you plan them when you are 14. Life is just not that simple", what he thought about the years he spent with his brother, how he left his family when he was 18 to go study Law at Stanford.

She told him she had a brother named Ben and that she also left her parent's house at 18, go to study, and only saw them during holidays, sometimes she would spend months without getting any news from them "which is normal", she said, "they have really busy jobs". And when Sam asked what did they do for a living she immediately said, nervous, "Bail hunters. They are bail hunters". She told him she shared her house with her best friend whom was always leaving with no apparent reason and sometimes spent weeks away, but she did not mention that friend's name. She told him pretty much everything about herself, but kept one of the most important things a secret: she would never tell that to anyone.

They both left the restaurant, Marie holding on to his arm, Sam laughing:

- Serious? You did that?

- Yeah, the kid was pissing me off.

- So you punched her?

- What? I was 16 and I was tired of her shit.

- You really did hate cheerleaders.

- Still do, Sam, still do.

- Wait, she was making fun of you because…?

- Because kids are mean and I was a little bit… Weird.

- Weird?

- Yeah. I only had one friend: Billy; and I used to listen to old songs and dress in very dark colors and always wore a leather jacket. And I was into mythology, some stuff that could creep out anyone.

- What kind of stuff?

- Sirens, vampires, werewolves, demons, rougarous… All types of monsters, all kinds of myths. – She said and Sam glanced at her, with this confuse smile. – Yes, I am really weird.

Sam smiled at her: she was cute when she was embarrassed.

- I like weird. – He answered, causing her to smile like a teenage girl. - But I'm one in a few, so you probably shouldn't let anyone know that, - He joked. – Specially your patients.

She laughed. A cold breeze passed by them and Marie trembled a little: she only had a pair of transparent tights covering her legs; it was way too cold to be outside, at least walking so slowly.

- So, what next Sam?

- I don't know. It's 10 pass 10 o'clock. Do you want to go to the autumn's fair or something?

- Yeah, sure, I could use a candy apple.

When they got there, the annual fun fair (that happened from September 21st to October 6th) was filled with people of all ages. The food stands were full, so where the drinking ones and the game ones. Kids were shooting cans with an air pressure gun to win a giant stuffed animal. Others were trying to win a gold-fish. Some were having fun ridding the fair wheel, the ghost ride, the rollercoaster and many others.

Sam was eating a bag of popcorn and Marie was trying to find the best way to give the first bite on the apple covered with red caramel without getting dirty.

- I totally love these things. – She said. – They're my favorite candy but they are a pain in the ass to eat. I guess the expression «best things in life don't come easily» can also be applied to candy.

- Just eat it, what are you so worried about? – He smiled.

She took a bit, chewed and swallowed it, letting both the caramel and the apple taste spread in her mouth.

- How is it?

- One of the best candy apples I've ever eaten, I told you, that old lady knows how to pick the best damn apples. – She looked at him. - Want some, popcorn guy?

He then laughed, he saw something funny.

- What? What is it?

- You have melted red caramel on the tip of your nose. – He smiled again.

- Oh crap. Crap, crap, crappy crap. – She hid her face and used the tissue she had on her hand to clean it. – Is it gone? – Asked Marie, super embarrassed.

- Yes, it's gone. Don't be so worried, it was just a little bit.

- Yeah, but it's embarrassing.

- I think it's kind of cute.

She smiled:

- And I'm the weird one.

- Yes. – He laughed again. – You are the weird one.

They walked while eating and talking, watching people around them having fun. She saw some of her friends and waved. «You can go to them, if you'd like.» She then looked at him, with a very dazzling smile: «No way, I rather stay with you if you don't mind. Is that okay?» He felt this wave warming him inside and smiled: «Let me think about it… Yeah, I guess that would be okay.» he said, playing once more.

At 11:30 pm they decided to leave the fun fair and Samuel walked with her to this really nice calm street, with 3 stories high buildings, with brick walls. There were half a dozen stairs to the dark green double door. Through the door window you could see two other doors, the entrance to two apartments, and the stairs leading to the 2nd floor.

- So… - She said, passing her eyes through the street. – I had a lovely evening. – Her voice presented Sam with a little irony, not because it wasn't true but because that sentence was an over-used cliché. You could see that on her face too.

- So did I. – After Sam's voice, you could hear a very short lasting awkward silence.

- This is not awkward at all. – She jested.

Sam laugh, he didn't know what else to do:

- Goodnight then?

- Yeah… I guess so. Goodnight. – She said, leaving a small but warm kiss on Sam's cheek, right before walking up the stairs.

Sam stood there, watching her walk up the exact six stairs with her hand sliding on the corridor. Sammy stood there thinking if he should or should not do it.

She took the key to the keyhole and turned it three times. Clack, clack, clack, and the door opened. As she prepared to enter the building, Sam Winchester – that climbed silently up the stairs – grabbed her by the hand, pulled her to him and kissed her with such heavy passion that you could feel it in the air: a warm breeze that made their hearts and her knees tremble. Both hearts felt an unnecessary necessity to beat faster as if Sam and Marie had been running for hours. Samuel had both hands holding her face, a 'romantic act' although no one knows the reason why holding the face of the person you're kissing is considered romantic. Obviously no one thinks if it's romantic or not when doing it: if you really feel the need o kiss someone, if you've spent several days wanting to kiss someone, you will hold that person's face in your hands, just because, unconsciously, it's a way of not letting the moment go by, it's like expression you're wish to make it last longer than it will. Holding someone's face is just like holding their heart in your hands, it's… it's not wanting to ever let go. And the way you hold it, expresses exactly how you'd hold that person's heart if you were ever given a chance.

Sam had held many faces in his life, most of them, with only one hand, in a harshly and careless way. After Jessica and Madison, that was the only way he ever held any women's face during a kiss. Until that night.

As their lips danced with each other, Samuel had his hands on her face and Marie stayed very still, caught by surprise because she thought he did not want to kiss her. She thought he didn't like her, that he wasn't interested in any way. But… well… she was wrong. That was probably one of the few occasions where she'd smile because she was wrong. She hated to be wrong… Except in situations of such matter.

Their lips departed and Sam smile, with his eyes opened, looking directly at her. Marie still had her eyes closed. She took two deep breaths and then looked at him with rose cheeks and her lips closed tightly in a very thin line.

- I… hmm…

- I'll go now. Goodnight. – Sam said, when he could not see though her face. Was she embarrassed in a good or bad way? Was she mad? Did she want him to leave or stay? He decided to play safe. – Sorry.

- No. – She whispered. – God, Sam, you silly goose. You kiss me and them you just leave?

- You were… too silent. – He said, confused. Was she mad now?

- You just kissed me with no warning, what did you want me to do? Invite you for tea? – She had a smile on her face. – That was my shy face. Not my mad one. Not my 'go away you pervert' one. Trust me, if I ever make one of those, you'll know immediately. Okay?

- Okay. – Sam agreed. It was not normal of him to react in such a weird, childish way. But he decided that time to play safe, weirdly and unexpectedly he did not want to screw things up with her. Although… he might have to leave in a couple of days, or weeks, or months. He did not know and that pissed him off, still he did not want to screw it all up. – Okay, so let's do this again.

- You just want to kiss me again, don't you?

- I shall not confirm nor deny.

- You idiot. – She smiled. – Do it inside the building then, I'm freezing out here.

- You just want me to come in, isn't it?

- I shall not confirm nor deny. - She said, as they both entered the building and started to climb the stairs up to the 3rd floor.

- Ahah, very funny.

- I'm a funny person. You should be used to it by now.

- How does someone get used to something that never happens?

- Uuhh, such a badass.

- I thought you liked the bad guys.

- Where did you get that idea from? – She asked, stopping only a few stairs away from her apartment's door.

- I don't know. You look like the type of girl who likes bad boys.

She laughed.

- I usually have crushes on the nerdy cute ones. You silly goose.

- Oh, just shut up, that… That's creepy.

- What? Silly goose?

- Yes, please stop.

- Why, silly goose?

- Marie, seriously.

- Fine. I'll stop. – She said, and then whispered: - For now.

- I heard that, you know?

She climbed up the last seven stairs in seven quick steps while Sam walked slowly. When he got to the door, she was unlocking it, with her eyes set on the floor. She was making sure of something, but Sam thought she was just having second thoughts.

- What is it?

Three seconds of silence:

- I thought I saw a spider. I hate spiders.

Marie took her shoes off just as soon as she entered the small apartment and just exhaled very slowly, expressing her relief on taking such high shoes of. Sam whipped his feet on the welcome carpet and, for a second, he thought he saw white chalk on the floor. He took it as a small innocent illusion and walked inside.

- Do you… Do you want something to drink?

- Nope. – He smiled, taking a step towards her, getting close to trapping her between his body and the wall.

- Do you want something to snack on?

- Not exactly, no. – He took another step.

Sam leaned in and held her face with one hand, as his lips got closer to hers. He kissed her with immense passion and fury, starting at the lips and then burning down his way to her neck. With the other hand, Sam grabbed her hair and then it slid down her back and then up again, grabbing the zipper and opening the dress. She took his jacket of Sam's torso and left it on the ground. That was followed by the white shirt he was wearing. She took her tights and he took off his pants and socks in a very quick and graceful move. They kissed each other as they blindly walk towards the bed. She had her arms around his neck and her breasts were pushed against Sam's muscular chest as he grabbed her by the waist with one arm and picked her up for the last 3 feet that separated them from the bed. They both fell on the mattress and the rest of the clothing fell on the ground.

Sam kissed every inch of her body, playing with every spot and making her go nuts. She trapped him rolling her legs around his waist as she kissed him and scratched his back with her nails. They would exhaust themselves to pleasure until the clock reached 2:00am.  
And then fall asleep in each other's arms.


	4. Chapter 4 - Weeping sky

**Chapter 4 – Weeping sky**

The rain was pouring from the skies that night, in the little town of Owl Falls and the Winchester brothers were very silent and still in the darkness of the streets, inside the Chevy Impala in front of a graveyard.

- This is it? – Sam questioned his brother, as he glanced at a very beautiful and calm cemetery. How could such a terrible person have lived in such beautiful town and buried in such a tranquil place?

- Yes, Sammy, this is it. Let's burn some nasty spirit's bones and put an end to this murder spree, shall we?

Sam nodded and got out of the car and so did Dean. They grabbed the stuff out of the Impala and looked for the right grave under the summer rain. Strangely that was a pretty easy case. Dean almost got killed and Sam got pretty beat up the day before founding where the man had been buried, but the actual killing was easy. Only two people died and that was actually a pretty good accomplishment given that the spirit was a real bastard. They saved the third victim, without knowing, as they burned the bones under a moonless sky.

Eleven days had passed as Samuel woke up with the smell of baked goods. He was in a very small bedroom, maybe 40 square feet, with walls covered with ivory shelves, full of books from the floor to the ceiling. The bed was only fit for two people: if one more was added to the bed discomfort would kick in. Sam was covered by a warm blue vintage styled eiderdown and white silky sheets. Under his head was the most comfortable pillow in the world. It was so comfortable Sam did not want to leave that bed.

He then heard a female voice, singing a little out a pitch. She did not have a very good singing voice but it was not that bad either. She was singing a song he did not recognize, but that was the theme song for a romantic comedy show called "Better with you". He was curious but damn, was that bed comfortable! He looked through the window behind and over the bed: it was pouring, just like eleven days ago. The sky was dark, filled with grey clouds that wept over Owl Falls and, as if all that rain wasn't enough, it looked like a thunder-storm was coming.

Sam got up and picked his boxers off the floor and put them on. The small bedroom had a white door on the side that probably led to a closet. The bedroom was also placed under a 'semi closed mezzanine'. There was iron stairs that led to a small hall also filled with books. There was window that accessed some stairs that seemed to lead to the building's roof. On the left side of that hall there was another door that possibly led to Marie's roommate bedroom.

In front of Marie's bedroom, where Sam had slept that night, there was another small division. The white wooden door was opened which made available the view to a beautiful and relaxing green bathroom. That division separated the entering hall of the house and the white living room. In there were three white couches that provided a sitting place for 5 people. There was a small antique desk, in ivory, and a very sophisticated armchair in a darker shade of the same color. There were two windows with flower patterned curtains in beige, green and pale pink. Over the antique coffee table was also a jar with purple fake flowers that looked extremely real. The rug was fluffy and in a very pearl like color.

Next to the bedroom was a purple cabinet kitchen, very organized. It was simple yet beautiful as it could remind anyone of home, despite its unusual color. And, dressed in a lumber jack flannel long shirt, with naked legs and her hair in a ponytail, there was Marie, with gigantic grey headphones muffling he sounds of the world with some very peppy song (and weird, to Sam). He could not see her face 'though, she was facing the wall, stirring what seemed to be icing for the cupcakes that were cooling on the counter.

Sam approached her silently and very smoothly grabbed her by the waist and bit her ear. With a visible and palpable hurry Marie took one of her hands to her face and then hid that hand behind her back as she turned to face Sam. Her golden eyes stared at his smoky blue ones and her lips sketched a smile. He loomed up his lips until he felt hers on them. He nibbled and kissed and played with her smooth rosy lips for a few seconds.

- Good morning. – She whispered, as Sam released her lips from their sweet punishment.

- Hi. – He smiled and his stomach felt like he was a very young man again, kissing someone very special… kissing Jess. He hadn't had that teenage innocent (yet not so innocent) feeling in a very, very long time. – What are you hiding from me?

- Nothing.

- Tell me or I will punish you.

- You can behead me for all you want, you will never find out.

- Oh is that so? – He said, with this very non innocent look on his face. He started kissing her chin, and then moved to the neck and the shoulder as she relaxed very slowly. Like a little bastard, Sam immediately grabbed what she was hiding behind her back: a pair of black nerd like glasses. – You wear glasses?

- No, Sam. They are only for decoration. – As she said that, you could feel the sarcasm in the air. Sam put the glasses on. – You look like Wally.

- In my defense, these are Wally's glasses. – She made a scandalized face. – I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Put them on. – She did so. He stayed in silence for 3 seconds and then it was her time to say something, terrified and embarrassed.

- I'll just put the contact lenses again. – She said, as she tried to escape the cage Samuel formed around her, trapping her between him and the counter.

- Don't be silly. You look cute. – His words came out as genuine because they were exactly that. – And sexy. Sam leaned in for another kissed but she pushed her away with a smile on her face.

- Do you usually wake up in such a horny mood? Let me just take a quick bath okay? Explore the house, although there's not much to explore. Unless you want to leave, obviously, that's fine, just do as you wish.

- Too bad, I'm not leaving. – He said. And she smiled.

- Are you hungry? I can make something before…

He interrupted her:

- Go take your bath, I'll wait. And hurry back, please. – He kissed her and she literally ran to the bathroom.

Ten minutes after she got out of the bath and combed her hair very quickly. Then, she walked to her room and picked out a black lingerie full off sexy lace and a transparent black negligée that was supposed to fit lavishly without losing the sensuality. She got dressed and looked at the half-length mirror on top of her nightstand in her tippy toes: it did fit lavishly and sensual.

She clipped her hair in a way that reminded a secretary or a lawyer and slowly walk to the kitchen. She decorated the muffins and put them on the table. Then, she proceeded to walk to one of the living room's window, passing in front of the television and in front of Sam's sight to check if it was appropriately closed so the rain wouldn't come in. It was just an excuse to get Sam's attention: she was so silent in the way she moved he did not notice she was out of the bathroom. Then, she passed behind the couch he was on and walked towards the fireplace that stood between the kitchen and the living room. Marie bended in a way that the skirt became too short as she put some wood in the fireplace and then set it on fire. She closed the fireplace's small glass door so the smoke wouldn't intoxicate the apartment and turned around, catching Sam staring at her. She pretended to be surprised, like she had no idea why he was looking or what she had done to catch his attention.

- What? – She asked, arching her eyebrows.

- Like you don't know.

- No. I do not.

- Hmhm. – He sarcastically agreed. - Why did you turn on the fireplace anyway? You could have just put on something warmer instead of a tiny little piece of fabric. I'm not complaining but…

- It's probably 50 degrees outside. This is a very cold first fall day. – She said, walking towards him.

- It's 47 actually. I just saw it on the news.

- You're only helping me.

- That's what I do: I help people. – The man replied, pulling her to his lap, making her turn her back on the TV and facing him.

- Oh really? Is that your job?

- Maybe. – He said, lying yet telling the truth. She bought it as a joke, that's how a good liar he was.

- Are you Superman?

- I'm better than him, besides if anyone here would be Superman that would be you.

- Hum?

- Clark Kent called earlier. – There was one second of silence. – He wants his glasses back.

- That's it, I'm taking off the glasses. – She said, kind of joking because she knew that's what he was doing, trying to abandon his lap.

- I'm just kidding, seriously?! You look like a librarian. - He took a glance at what she was wearing, as to make a point yet to be pronounced. – A very naughty librarian.

She took the glasses off, with a very sensual look on her face and let her curly hair loose fall on her back and shoulders:

- You are late on a book delivery, Mr. Winchester. There's a punishment for that. – She said, clearly just fooling around and not roll-playing.

They both laughed and Sam tilted his head back, with no restraining on his laugher.

- I am laughing but seriously that was… really hot.

- I am kind of hot, so that would be expected. – Responded Marie, with a very sarcastic pride.

- Indeed. – Sam pronounced, as he approached her for a kiss.

And the dim sky fell over the world without them noticing. Samuel left her house and went to meet his brother at a local bar, right next to the motel they were staying in.

Dean Winchester came through the door, entering the bar. It was dark and you could smell the alcohol in the air. A group of four bearded men were playing pool; they looked like mean ass bikers. There were only two or three more men in the bar, with drinks in front of them and blank looks on their faces. He took a look around until his eyes met the bar and saw the bartender: a girl, probably 25 years old, with long dark brown hair filled with waves and curls. Her eyes were as dark as night, reminded Dean of the black olives in Sam's salad the other day. "Pussy, no one orders salad in a dinner", he had told his brother when he made that request to the waitress.

He walked confidently towards the girl deciding he should slide a line to see if you got lucky that night too. The bartender was smiling and being nice to two old men sitting there on the bar counter; Dean had charm, was young, she would not resist him.

- Hey. – He said, with his usual seductive voice.

The girl squinted at him, with an angry expression, like she was used to getting 'heys' like that:

- What?

- Two beers please. – Sam said, appearing next to his brother out of the blue. He had just arrived, but he got there in time to see the girl's response.

The girl walked away and came back with two tap beers.

- So, how was your dinner? And your sleep over? And your afternoon? Damn, that girl must be crazy in bed.

- Shut up, Dean. So, did you find anything new? Any case?

- Nope, nothing. – He mumbled, while taking a sip of his beer. – This is freaking me out. It's been more than a week. Something must be terribly wrong.

- Or maybe it's just terribly right, have you thought about that in that way? – Dean looked at Sam almost lost. "What", his eyes asked. – Maybe there are no more monsters in the world. Maybe they're finally extinct.

Dean laughed, but there was nothing good in that laugher. It was a sad, a very sad laugher; Dean wanted that to be true, but…

- Do you actually believe that, Sam? – He questioned. – Since when do good things like that happen? – Sam quietly took a taste of his beer with a heavy look on his face. – There will always be things to hunt down, Sammy. Evil is always going to exist, bad things are always going to be lurking in the corner of the street, no matter how bright and pretty the road seems. You know that.

- Yeah, I guess you're right. – "But it's nice to think otherwise", he thought, as he drank some more of the alcohol in front of him.

"That would be nice, although", said the voice in Dean's head. "No more demons, no more ghosts, no more creepy pagan gods nor killing beasts. A chance to settle down somewhere and have a family. A chance to settle down with Lisa and Ben. Have a big white fence, a porch where to sit and drink a beer holding Lisa's hand, a backyard to play football with Ben, a calm and totally safe street where he could ride a bike in without us worrying. Wouldn't that be nice?" Dean Winchester pronounced a silent "shut up" to himself, as he took the largest sip of beer ever.

- Maybe bad stuff is happening but it's just not making it to the press. – Concluded Sam, after a while.

- Yeah… That might be it.

Both brothers finished their drinks and then ate some burgers for dinner. Sam headed back to the motel room, but Dean stayed at the bar. Sam saw some tv and went to bed, to try to get some sleep. And it would be the perfect night to get some sleep – it was raining again and the sound of the water failing on the ceiling and on the streets made such a beautiful lullaby – if it wasn't for the fact that his brain started to do some intense thinking just as soon as his head touched the cool pillow:

Last night had been awesome. He had never felt so… normal. She was just that: normal; and that was terribly good. She was normal, but not common. She was smart and nice and funny and seemed to try to take things not so seriously, always making small jokes, and playing; she had a great sense of humor, most girls he had met did not, they always took what he said way too seriously. She liked reading, for what he saw on her room. She was vibrating and sweet and… she was a lot like Jess. But at the same time, she was way too different from her. Plus, she also saved lives, except that she got paid for it.

Too bad he would have to leave eventually, if it wasn't for that, they could actually have more than just moments.

"Are you hearing this shit?" said another voice in his brain, maybe it was the side of him that did not want to settle. Yes, it was Sam Winchester that controlled that body 70% of the time, the Sam that had a notion of reality and knew what was and what was not possible and that was definitely not possible. "You've only known her for 12 days, Sam. And even if you knew her for a month now you'd never be able to stay with her. What the hell are you thinking, Sam? Yes, it was nice, but that's all that it's going to be!"

Sam could almost see that side of him, like a clone of himself, sitting in the empty bed in front of him but with colder and more distant eyes and a stricter position. An emptier, maybe even madder, face stared at him and talked, moving his arms and squinting his eyes. Seeing things: was he going mad?

- She's not and will never be your girlfriend. You will never be together. So you can just salt and burn that little very tiny piece of you that has feelings (or actually could have) for that girl because that's not us, Sam. Evil will never disappear, you will never settle down, not with Jess nor Maddie, because you got them killed, neither with Marie. You won't settle down with anyone. You will die young and if you don't, you'll just be a very troubled old man, Sammy. – His voice was pure anger and disgust. Who would've said that the usual Sam was that mad inside? – You hunt evil, Sam. And you are pure evil never forget that. You might have dropped that demon stuff but you will always have a dark mean and nasty side, boy. She is normal. She is happy. And nice and can have a very typical life: the American dream. You… You are a monster Sammy, we are a monster. We brought on the Apocalypse. We were Satan's meat suit. We drank demon blood. We could kill demons just by snapping our fingers! So whatever you're feeling or think you are feeling: stop. You cannot feel things like that, Sam, not anymore, if we actually ever felt then. You don't have a soul Sam, you lost it somewhere along the way.

- You are just saying that because you too want to stay. – Sam whispered, forgetting that he was talking to his imagination, with his eyes burning: that was such a horrible thing to recognize, no matter how true it was. – You're just like that because every time we meet someone who could actually stay with us, that actually makes us happy, reality falls on our heads and we have to leave and carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. You don't mean it.

- Don't I? – There was a moment of silence. - Monsters can't feel: you need a soul to do that and monsters don't have one. Remember that, Sammy.

Sammy rolled over, turning around, so he wouldn't face that side of him anymore. "Boohoo, such a sad night for a sad little boy under such a weeping sky" said the voice in his head, disappearing for good, at least for that night.


	5. Chapter 5 - Silver lining

**_AN: It was brought to my attention that some countries do not used the symbol "–" to start dialogue, so, from now on, I shall use the most common way: "dialogue" Thank you for your attention and sorry for the inconvenient. _**

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**Chapter 5 – Silver lining**

Her watch's arms pointed at 7:30 am. She was by the drinking fountain as usual, with her mouth full of water. She drank it and dried her mouth to her sweater. Sam had just got near her when she turned around and found him leaning against a tree right next to her, trying to play it super cool, like he hadn't rushed his step to get there.

"Well, hello." She said, with a surprised smile when her eyes found him there.

"Why the super happy face?" He asked, taking the two steps that separated them.

"I didn't think you'd come."

"Why?"

"I figured after last night and yesterday you would… stop coming. "

"Only if I was stupid."

"Aren't you?" She jested, making him smile.

He put his hands on her waist:

"So very funny." He said, before leaning in and stealing a kiss.

"For how long have you been running?" She asked as they started walking the usual road instead of running through it.

"30 minutes, why?"

"You look like and feel like a sweaty brute."

"Sorry."

"That's fine, Sam." She glanced at his eyes. He looked tired, worried, like he had just done something incorrect. "What's wrong? You look preoccupied"

"I'm fine."

"No you are not. I can tell. I have a gift."

"I just had a rough night. It's nothing."

"A very vivid bad dream?"

Sam swallowed pure emptiness as he reminded himself of the little fantastic chat he had the night before.

"Yeah, something like that."

"What was it?"

"Nothing that matters."

"Okay." She said, as she realized he did not want to talk about it.

"Marie?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"Would you like to have lunch with me today?"

She pulled a face:

"I have to go to work today." He made a sad face when he was faced with her words. "But you can meet me there and we'll have lunch at the cafeteria or at this cute 50's diner in front of the hospital." She suggested, with a smile on her face and on her voice tone.

"I can't. Dean texted me a few minutes ago: he took the car. He… He's going to visit his… friend. She's probably just going to send him back but still, I don't have a car today."

"Oh, I see. And Dean is…."

"My brother." He said at the same time she asked:

"Your brother, right?"

She released a simple and almost quiet laugh.

"Well, I'm trying this new recipe today, for dinner, and I don't really like being alone at the house at night, I'm not really used to it. I should be, but I'm not. Would you like to come?"

"What are you cooking?"

"Peking duck with mandarin crêpe and some Chinese vegetables. I know, it is basic Chinese food, but I never actually made it and I'd like to try. And if it doesn't work out we can just order real Chinese."

"Yeah, that would be nice. Can I bring dessert?"

"No, I'm making Chinese fried bananas. But you can bring wine or coke and a small bucket of ice cream for the bananas, if you must."

"Deal. What time should I be there?"

"Hmm… I get home at seven, so between that and nine, maybe."

"Okay."

"Okay." She smiled. " I'll see you then, got to go to work." She gave him a quick kiss and then ran off, on her way home to get ready for work.

Sam went his way back to the motel. He found Dean's bed empty. Next to his bag of clothing was another bag: Dean left him some guns in case they were needed.

Sam took a bath, ate something and then got to work, trying to find something while wishing he did not. And the wish came through. He bought some take out from the bar next to the motel and went back to his room. He sit there all afternoon, watching TV. Day time TV was terrible, so he just watched some cartoon, like a little kid, while eating a bag of chips. He worked out for one whole hour: push ups, sit ups, squats. And then, when he looked at the clock and saw the big arm point to seven and the other positioned between 12 and 5, clockwise, he jumped in the shower and took a quick bath. He put some black tight boxers, socks, picked out a knit shirt he had, he did not use often, and a white t-shirt to wear under that. He put on the darkest jeans he owned and grabbed his backpack with a new pair of boxers in it, knife, gun, his dad's journal, cellphone, keys and wallet and left, taking his leather jacket with him.

On his way to her house, he stopped by a grocery shop and bought two buckets of ice cream: vanilla and macadamia nuts. He also took a bottle of the finest wine and Pepsi. He paid with a credit card.

"Would you like a bag to put that in, Mrs. Grogan?" The man behind the counter had to look to the credit card to get the name. A fake name.

"Yes please."

His purchase was put in a plastic bag and the plastic bag carefully placed inside his backpack.

"Thank you", said Sam, as he left the store.

A 30 year old man walked down the street. His eyes had 100 colors, his past had 200 variations of grey areas and a lot of wrong decisions and his soul… Well, he wasn't sure he had one. In that right moment that 30 year old man, named Sam Winchester, born May 2nd 1983, was a happy and relaxed man. The wind whispered violently between the trees and all the buildings, and streets, whistling a pugnacious but still smoothing melody. Only God knows how something apparently that violent could also be smoothing.

Sam's boots stepped on puddles of water from the night before, marked his step on the promenade. He climbed the six steps, at that time covered in leaves floating in small puddles of accumulated water. He rang the bell, the door opened and he ran up the stairs. When he got there, he knocked on the door.

"Just a second!" He heard her say.

Sam whipped his feet on the welcome carpet and, when looking down, saw a little bit of white chalk coming from underneath it, a part of a drawing. He lifted the carpet and saw it: a perfectly made devils trap. At that moment, she opened the door.

"What are you doing?"

"What's this?" Sam asked, with fear filling his eyes. Sam knew what it was, he just wanted to know why was it painted on the floor in front of her house. Was she a hunter too? Her roommate, maybe?

"That stupid drawing? We have a neighbor that thinks my roommate is in some kind of cult. I saw that drawing in some book so we decided to draw it there to scare her. Once a week we take the carpet off around 6 o'clock, that's when that neighbor gets home, and she just passes by it praying, super scared."

"That's… A weird and complicated way to scare a neighbor." He believed her, her eyes spoke only the truth and, after all, she was weird.

" I know, but what can I say, we are both weirdos. Did it freak you out? If it did, I can just take it out, with some alcohol or something."

"No, it's fine. I was just curious." He put the carpet back on its place and entered the house. He took his shoes off and went directly to the purple fridge, where he put the ice cream and drinks. They turned around and finally looked straight at her. Her hair was loose; she was wearing leggings and what seemed like a red oversized cashmere shirt, very fashionable and expensive looking. She had comfortable uggs on her feet and some perfume on her neck. No make-up; glasses. She looked beautiful.

"Hey." She said, when she found him starring.

He pulled her to him, and she glided gracefully to his arms, almost like dancing, and rolled her arms around his neck, holding a wooden spoon, as he hugged her by the waist still holding his backpack.

"Hi, gorgeous." He spoke, right before kissing her gently but with intense passion.

"How was your day?"

"Boring."

"Did you spend your afternoon looking to the ceiling waiting for the clock to reach seven hundred hours?"

"Something like that." Sam smiled.

She smiled too and turned to the stove, directing her attention to the cooking. You could feel the smell of the duck in the turned off oven. Marie walked to the shelves on her right and took a black serving platter to the kitchen counter. She removed the duck from the oven – she had already sliced it – and put it on the platter, next to a bunch of mandarin crepes and tiny little pieces of Lebanese cucumbers.

Marie then grabbed a bowl and stirred one last time the sautéed vegetables in the frying pan. He put then all in the bowl and then looked at Sam.

"Would you like to eat in the table" – she asked, as she looked at the kitchen table that had enough room for four people to sit around it and eat. – "or would you like to eat in the living room?"

"In the kitchen is fine." He answered. "Do you want me to lay the table?"

"No, thank you Sam. I'll do it in a second."

She took the food to the table and then grabbed two black porcelain plates and set them on the table, along with two tall glasses, silver wear and expensive looking fabric napkins. She then froze.

"Oh crap." She whispered.

Sam took two steps, leaving behind the space that separated them both:

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot to prepare some appetizers." Her face was pure self-disappointment, like she had done something terrible like killing someone or… ending the world.

Sam laughed a little as he hugged her and whispered:

"Don't worry, I don't eat appetizers. Appetizers are for sissies."

She smiled, almost laughing and looked up, right into his eyes and almost forgot what she was going to say:

"Let's eat then?"

The meal was enjoyed alongside with a conversation: there was no moment of silence. Then she tossed all the plates into the washing machine and did not let Sam help her. They moved to the living room and watched a horror movie that Marie borrowed from a friend at work. They watched it until they watched it no more and ended up covered by warm and smooth silk sheets with no clothes on.

As the clock reached 1am, Marie fell asleep and so did Sam, as the rain started to fall from the skies again.

A thunder fell from the dark night sky, waking Sam up. As his eyes opened, the clock arms moved to indicate 3:15 am. He turned to the left side and found that Marie was awake, sitting in bed staring at the book shelves, her back was literally turned to Sam – he could not see the girl's face.

"Hey." He whispered, with a hoarsely voice like his body wasn't 100% awake yet and his vocals were still a little numb from the 2 hour nap. "What are you doing up? Come back to sleep."

"No, thank you." She replied.

Sam felt oddness in the air, there was this feeling, this strange feeling in the air like something wasn't right, like… like in a horror movie. A thunder shouted outside as if it had important and terrible orders to deliver in that small town.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I know what you did Sam. I know what you are."

"What?" And fear was what came out of his mouth.

"I know about your psychic stuff, Sam. The demon blood, that you started the apocalypse, Lucifer's vessel. I know it all."

"How?" Something was definitely wrong there. It was like he was in a bad dream but it felt so real.

She laughed and it sounded terrifying, but still beautiful. You could feel the evilness in that laugher, in her voice. It was like she had something really monstrous planned and Sam was a part of it. Marie turned around and smiled like you smile to a 3-year-old that has no idea what you are talking about or like you would smile to someone very dumb that doesn't understand a very simple thing you just said. She smiled like she was having fun scaring Sam. Marie closed her eyes and opened them again. They were black, all black, and lifeless: demon eyes.

"Hi, Sammy."

Sam woke up in a rush, drenched in sweat, scared, and immediately looked to this left. Marie was there, sleeping soundly. It was just a very vivid bad dream, a terrible nightmare to have. And just as his heart slowed down and he took a deep breath, Sam heard the door opening. There was no sound of hanging keys: just the door opening and the steps of someone coming inside, slowly, as if not to wake up who lived there.

Samuel Winchester got up very slowly, also trying not to make a noise, and peeked out of the room. He saw a man, tall, but not taller than him, skinny, with a backpack. He had spiked hair, a piercing in his ear and a black punk leather jacket, dark pants. He didn't have a very nice look. Sam sneaked through the living room and got to him as he was looking inside some drawers in the kitchen. As Samuel moved his arm quickly to wrap the guy's neck, the man turned around and elbowed Sam in the stomach and got away from the hunter's attack. The fight started. Sam punched him in the face with all his strength, yet the burglar did not let it affect him too much. He punched him back and moved so fast Sam was having trouble knocking him down; it shouldn't be that hard, the guy couldn't weight more than 154 lb.

Things were thrown on the floor as they shove each other against everything around them with punches and kicks… It took only 30 seconds for Sam to corner him against the wall, and it took that exact time for Marie to wake up, get to the kitchen and turn the lights on.

"STOP!" She shouted, with pain and angst slitting her throat. You could almost imagine blood running inside her throat just by hearing the suffering in her voice. You could also get a little confusion in the order she shouted to the skies. Why were they fighting?

Sam looked at her, and so did the man, but he did not let go. His face was perplexed: why would she tell him to leave a thief alone, in her own house?

"Hello, my love." The blond hair/ green eyed man said. "A little help here?"

He let him go. Love? Was he her boyfriend or something similar? Sam looked at Marie with very opened and lost eyes: what the hell was going on? He wiped a tread of blood that slid down the corner of his lip. She had not glanced at Sam yet: her eyes were set on the mysterious man in the apartment. She walked towards him as he made his voice sound:

"Jesus, the first time I meet one of your boy toys and he's a maniac? God damn it girl, are you bad at picking them!" He then smiled; she was right in front of him. That smile would soon be gone, as Marie lifted her fist and punched him in the jaw. It looked like it hurt, by the look on his face, but not too much. "What the hell was that for?"

"It's the 500th time you just vanish for weeks! I had no idea where you were! I called so many times, but God forbid you from answering one damn phone call! I am tired of your shit, Billy! Clean yourself up, eat something and go to bed. Put aside your expectations for a warm welcome, this is what will be waiting for you from now on. I am done."

Marie turned around and walked to the bathroom. She returned with a first aid kit and put a hand on Sam's back, as saying «come back to bed». He followed her to the bedroom, they both sat on the bed and she opened the box in front of her. He had only two small cuts on his face: one in the lip and another one a little bit above his eyebrow. She cleaned then and disinfected them with all the sweetness and calmness of her being. She was not mad. She didn't even require justifications. Her lips drew a very small smile as she stroke his cheek with her thumb, holding his face with her right hand.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Don't worry. I've handled way worse. This was just child's play." Sam answered, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"It looked like you were pretty angry back there."

"I'm fine now. I'm just tired of Billy disappearing all the time."

"So, I can assume that Billy is your roommate?"

"Yes, off course."

"Hm. Seems like… a nice guy."

"He has his moments." She grabbed his face and turned it so the wound would face the light. It didn't look too bad, but still… "You'll be fine. But your apple cheek is going to swell up. I'll get some ice."

He grabbed her by the arm as she tried to get up and walk to the kitchen. She looked at him with a question in his eyes: «what's wrong?» He gave a little smile.

"Thank you."

"For what?" She smiled, sitting again on the bed. "It's just ice, sweetie."

"I know. It doesn't matter why. Just… Thank you." She wouldn't find out the «why» for a very long time, she wouldn't find out how grateful he was and how good that moment was for him. That was the first time, in a very long time, Sam didn't need to take care of his own wounds. How nice would it be to have her on his hunting trips? He'd never had to leave her and he'd always have someone waiting for him to get back and stitch up his cuts. «Oh god! How selfish.» He thought. But… that simple physical jester meant a lot: someone besides his brother cared about him. It was weird, that was true and Sam knew it.

She smiled and kissed him gently trying not to hurt him.

"I'll be right back."

She got up and walked to the kitchen. Billy was there, eating a sandwich. He looked at her.

"I'm sorry."

"I know." She answered. There was a moment of silence.

"You really like him." He said, in a low voice.

"Why do you say that?" She wanted to know, holding a folded tea-towel with four ice cubes in the middle of it.

"I've been your best friend for 20 years and you just yelled at me and treat his wounds instead of mine. You took his side, not mine. You are either really mad at me or you really like him." She did not respond. "Marie, c'mon." She continued in silence. «Is it both?» And her face said 'yes' without her ever needing to speak.

"You haven't liked someone in a very long time."

"He'll leave eventually; he's just taking a small… vacation. So it doesn't matter."

Billy looked at his best friend with the most caring eyes and saw the look on her face: that fact actually made her a little bit sad.

"Marie…"

"No, don't 'Marie' me. I'm fine, it's a fact I accept." She looked at him. "I'm glad you're back, Billy, I really am." Her best friend smiled when confronted with such nice words. "But I'm still mad at you." He laughed and she walked away, disappearing into her bedroom. Billy watched her leave: how cruel and unexpected life (and love) was! Amazement, beauty, kindness and chemistry can take your heart in just a few days, sometimes even in a few hours and then life itself it's all it takes for that heart to be crushed; special in more fragile moments or when referring to a more fragile person. Marie was not fragile at all, but that particular phase of her life was. The last guy she actually liked had left two years ago, she kicked him out for very specific reasons and, after that, and no one knew why, she just never actually liked anyone again. She had other boyfriends, sure, maybe two or three, but it only lasted a couple months or something: her heart just didn't fell for them. And then Sam came and so did life. It was usually like that for her: when someone good came to her, it didn't take long for bad luck to knock on her door.

Yes, Marie had been thought, along her life and in the hardest way, every silver lining has its cloud.


	6. Chapter 6 - Love's departure

**I'm sorry for such a crappy chapter, I haven't had much free time to actually put everything aside and write, with college and stuff; but I do promise I will use every free minute to write and try to compose some decent chapters, next time. Thank you for your patience, thank you so much.**

** - **the supernatural tribe, aka Maria

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**Chapter 6 – When love departs**

And another week passed. And during that week Sam had a chance to see how his life could be if he was not a hunter, how normal and beautiful his life would be if he just stopped hunting, if he just left his brother again. But Dean was, indeed, his brother and there was no way Sam would leave him on his own again. He wouldn't be exactly on his own; he had Castiel, but still… They were family and family sticks together.

Marie had just arrived home from work, or what she was supposed to call home. That small apartment had been the roof on her head for two years now but it never actually felt like home. She had been forced to leave her real home a long time again, going on eight years. She barely had time to change her clothing and eat something before Samuel Winchester rang the doorbell.

She let him in the building and after a minute or two she opened the door and found Sam. He didn't look too happy; he looked like he had done something very very wrong. Suddenly, she wasn't smiling no more.

"Are you…?" She couldn't even finish her sentence; she did not know what to say.

"We are leaving tomorrow morning. I'm so sorry." He said, with pain in his voice, entering the apartment and trying not to let her actually see how sad he really was… Oh god, if she started crying or something he would totally fall apart.

"Don't. It's fine, Sam. We knew this was coming. We just didn't know when." She tried to smile, but that was the opposite of what she was feeling: happiness was not it.

Although they only knew each other for 20 and something days, they did not want it to end that soon. Sometimes, love can strike and steal your heart in a couple of days (like it did with Sam and Madison) why not a couple of weeks?

"I shouldn't have to leave."

"But you do." She said, holding his face in her hands. "And you'll continue that weird road trip with your brother that you can't talk to me about and you'll have fun."

"I'll come visit."

"You will be more than welcome. But only if you do it because you want to; do not feel like you have to."

"Don't worry. But don't let that keep you from…" He didn't have to say the rest. Moving on.

"I won't." She lied: she wouldn't be able to move on for a very long time. At this time, they were already sitting on the couch.

She hid her face on his chest, as she hugged him, trying to keep her tears in secret.

"What time is your brother picking you up?"

"8 am."

"Then I will make breakfast for all of us."

"You don't have to."

"No, but I want to."

They stared at each other for a little while trying not to let that situation bring them down.

"So… this is our last night together." She said.

"For now" He completed. "I'm so sorry."

"Just shut up and kiss me, okay?"

And so he did, leaning in to steal a kiss, and another and another. With one hand on her face and the other supporting his weight, Sam laid her down on the couch and followed that movement of her body.

Marie took his shirt of his body and then took hers. He kissed her with passion and moved down her neck, then her chest, burning his way through her cleavage and her stomach. He then unbuttoned her denim shorts and pulled them off her body; Sam took his jeans off and Marie pulled him back to the couch and sat on top of him. They kissed again, their tongues playing with each other and their upper bodies leaning against each other; she felt the warmth of his skin and vice versa – they shared the heat that ran through their veins and burned their skin.

Samuel bit her lips and then her jaw and her neck and her shoulder, as he took her bra off, and finally her breasts, pulling her nipples with his teeth – with no intention to hurt her. She rolled her eyes over, pulling his hair in a mix of pain and pleasure. She took her red laced panties off and pulled his boxers off of her way (it would be hard in that position but Sam helped her). She reached for a condom that she kept in her purse which was sitting on her coffee table. Sam put it on and pulled Marie back to his lap again. She moved her hips, making it go in and out, at a moderated speed that would increase slowly towards the end. He kissed her and grabbed her by her waist, her hair… She had one hand pulling his light brown hair and the other on his back, scratching his skin with desire. Their moaning and the sound of their breaths and their bodies moving in tune with each other were the only sounds you could her in that apartment.

The moon was traded by the sun and by eight hundred hours that Sunday morning, Sam sat in front of the kitchen table, as Marie took baked goods out of the oven. Two pies were already on the breakfast table and the two dozens of muffins were being removed from the oven. The breakfast was ready to be eaten: a pumpkin a pie, chocolate muffins, blueberry muffins, lots of fruit – grapes, blood oranges, bananas, kiwis, figs and pomegranates -, milk, coffee, hot chocolate. There were also different types of bread and a hole kind of things you could put in them.

8:05 am: the doorbell rang. Sam answered. It was Dean and he did not come alone.

"Hey." Dean said, when he saw his baby brother. "Are you ready to go?"

"Marie made us all breakfast."

"I don't know Sam…" He was interrupted.

"She made pie." Confronted by such beautiful words pronounced by Sam, Dean entered the apartment and his eyes searched for the owner of the house but with the intention to find the pie, also. "Hi, Cas." Said Sam, when he took a step towards the door. "Come in, you are invited too."

And so he did, following Dean. They both saw a short girl, a little over 5'2'', curly long hair and simple clothing: a large knit dress in a tone of grey and black ugg comfortable boots; skinny, like a small sized model, great posture.

She turned around, with a smile on her face, drying her hands on a dishcloth.

"You must be Dean." She said, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, please sit. Eat some pie, I heard you like it."

"Oh well, thank you." He said, admired by the sweetness in her voice, although it was expected. "I love pie."

She smiled again and walked to Castiel. She held out her hand, waiting for a handshake, and this time Cas knew what to do – a few years back and he would have stared at her hand just like he did with Sam the first time they met.

"I'm Marie. You are Castiel, am I right?"

"Yes, that is the name given to me by my Father." He said that with the greatest honor and pride. She smiled: he was weird, the good kind of weird.

"Please, Castiel, take a sit." They all sat down. Sam next to Marie, in front of Dean; Dean next to Cas and Cas in front of the girl.

"Such great hospitality" The older brother said, with a mouthful. "And such a great pie."

She smiled.

"Well, thank you Dean. That's what you learn when you grow up in a southern catholic family: how to make pies, southern hospitality and the belief in God." Castiel smiled when she said that, but also felt like there was something wrong with her, but she had hidden that very deeply in her being. Dean also sensed that and so did Sam, a few times. But what wrong could she have done? What could be worse than starting the Apocalypse?

They ate and talked until the end of the meal. Marie put the second pie – lemon merengue flavor – in a paper box and handed it to Dean, because he loved pie. She handed to Castiel a bag of chocolate muffins as he had said they were delicious and congratulated her on such great baking skills. Dean smiled when he stated that: Castiel, complimenting someone as a normal person, as an actual person – that would never get old, deep down he'd never get used to it. To Samuel, she gave a kiss and walked the three of them to the street.

Castiel and Dean got in the car as Sam stayed behind, just for a minute or two, to say goodbye.

"I will come to visit."

"I know you will." But at that time, she didn't believe that to be true.

"Even if I didn't Dean would make me come to visit you so he could eat another of your delicious pies." She laughed: hat she believed in. Then, the smiling faces turned into very serious ones. They kissed with such great passion you could feel the emotion in the air, the sadness cutting through it. "Bye."

Sam got into to the car and she stayed there, by the building's stairs, watching the Impala drive away and with him the only man she had loved in a very long time, as that man watched her stay still and yet disappear, by the review mirror; as all chances of happiness slipped through their fingers.


	7. Chapter 7 - Back in Black

**Chapter 7 – Back in black**

The Impala was driving down the black road, covert in asphalt, as the rain poured down on her, muffling the engine's sweet purr. The passenger's seat was empty and only the driver's was taken. With his hands on the wheel and the usual look on his face after just driving an exorcised person to the hospital (the "I'm not joking, I'm dead serious" look), Dean Winchester drove back to the motel room as fast as possible: his brother was waiting.

A thunder cut the sky in two and fell in some empty field, a few miles away. The house was cold in that night. It was October 28th. A small light was on and a man was tied up to a chair. He was about thirty, maybe even younger, brown hair, light skin, imprisoned inside of a devil's trap.

Sam asked the demon what his purpose was in possessing that man's body, besides killing innocent people. "To pass a message to his family", he had answered. The youngest of the Winchester brothers then wanted to know what the message was and the black-eyed demon responded: "None of your business, Sam."

Yes, at that point, all demons knew his name… His and Dean's: the very famous Winchester boys.

The rain fell down from the clouds and, confronted by that answer, Sam spoke, by heart:

"Exorcizamus te, omnis spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernali adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabólica."

The demon was cleary in pain, moving that John Doe's body with such violence.

"Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legia diabólica adjuramus te. Cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque aeternae Perdition is venerum propinare."

The man twisted his body in what seemed to be an expression of pure, horrible pain. He emitted what was close to painful screams and moaning.

"Fine, I'll tell you." Sam paused when he heard those words. "His family is not really loved by us demons. The order is to… do bad things to them. And then kill them."

Samuel didn't even care.

"Vade Satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae, hostis humanas salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contumisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine, quem inferi tremunt."

"If you do this, Sammy, your little girlfriend will be next."

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me", said the demon, in pain. "We will cut that little throat of hers."

"If you touch her, any of you, I will personally go down to hell and rip your lungs out of your chest; or something equivalent."

The demon laughed.

"Ab insidiis diabolic, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias liberate servire te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humuliare digreris, te rogamus, audi nos."

The black smoke was floating around the man's body, inside the trap.

"Terribilis Deus de sanctuario suo. Deus Israhel ipse truderit virtutem et fortitudinem plebe Suae. Benedictus deus, Gloria Patri."

And it was gone.

At that moment, Dean opened the door and got in the motel room. He saw the unconscious body sitting in the wooden chair.

"What did they want, do you know?"

"Yeah. He said they were having fun and they had orders to send a message to this one's family."

"Who's his family?"

"Demon didn't say." Answered Sam, with something else on his mind.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The man woke up while Dean and Sam were driving him to the Hospital. H looked around, still dazed, breathing deeply, preparing to speak.

"Is it gone? Thank God." He whispered.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes… Just some broken bones, probably."

He seemed to be handling it fine, maybe this wasn't the first time he was possessed or maybe he had seen other people in that state before.

"He said that he had a message to your family…"

"Yes. I'll warn them. Besides, they are smart, they won't let any demons near them."

"Who's your family?"

"Can't say." He stayed in silence for a while. "Damn it, I just took the bracelet of for one lousy minute."

Dean asked: "Bracelet?"

"Anti-possession."

Sam smiled. Dean spoke:

"You should get that tattooed next time."

The man laughed, with difficulty because all his body was sore: his dad told him that every Christmas, when all the family got together to celebrate Jesus' birth.

5 minutes after they were at the hospital. Sam helped him get to the emergency wing. He seemed to have dislocated his shoulder and his left hand appeared to be broken. He would safe there and the someone would take care of him. Right when Sam was about to leave him alone to handle with all explanations and etc., the man looked at him and called him. Sam recognized the look on his face, his eyes were familiar, golden, like a yellow autumn's leave, a very light shade of brown.

"Sam? Tell her to never take it off."


	8. Chapter 8 - Halloween (Part 1)

Since I haven't had a lot of time to write, I decided to break the chapter 8 in two parts so you all wouldn't have to wait that much. Stay tuned, I'll post the next part soon, hopefully it will be 100 times more exciting than part 1. Sorry again.

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**Chapter 8 – Halloween (PART 1)**

She parked her Peugeot 107, colored in purple, after working all day, by the side walk. She looked to the windows of her apartment: all off, maybe he was sleeping, or maybe he just didn't sleep at home last night.

Following the every working day routine, she got out of the car, carrying her heavy bag filled with her non-working clothing (yes, she was so exhausted she didn't even trade her nursing outfit for her regular clothes.) and very expensive looking shoes, her wallet and cellphone, opened the building's door, and climbed the four flights of stairs, two floors, after leaving a 24 hour working day in the O.R.

When she arrived home, she took her shoes off and left her bag in her bed.

"Billy?"

No answer.

"Hey, dumb ass!" She yelled.

She heard him getting up and opening his bedroom door.

"What?"

"I was trying to see if you were home. Were you asleep?"

"No, I was skydiving with my pet unicorn." He joined her in the kitchen, dressed in a sportive shirt and comfortable shorts.

"Let me guess. Your one night stand just left?"

"I have no one night stands…" He took a silent three seconds. "Or I won't, in ten seconds when the walk of shame starts."

They both counted ten seconds, looking to the stairs that led to Billy's room. A girl appeared, gorgeous, but not very smart looking (and she clearly wasn't); she was holding her shoes and bag, her dress was all crinkled and her hair messy. And so did the walk of shame begin. 19 steps to get to the floor they were both at, a not so willing goodbye (she just wished she could disappear and not pass by them), and 15 more steps, open door, get out and close door. The walk of shame would continue until that girl got to her car, or her house, but Billy and Marie couldn't watch it anymore.

"What was her name?"

"I have no idea." He admitted.

"Oh Billy, what have you become? I'm so glad that I know you since I was a toddler and therefore know better than to have sex with you."

"Funny. I wouldn't do that to you, silly. You are a keeper. But only the smart ones can see it, like me."

"Can you make me some breakfast while I change to my pajama?"

"Sure, babe. Hey, by the way, you had a message when I got home. Matthew called, guess he didn't see you at the hospital."

"Oh yeah?" She said, not impressed, changing her clothing in her bedroom, trading her work outfit for a nice comfy and warm pajama.

"He just doesn't give up, does he?"

"Guess not."

"Have you actually said no to him?"

"I said 'I can't Matthew, this isn't a really good time right now'."

"That's the same as saying 'maybe next month, keep trying sugar". Why can't you just say 'no' and disappoint the man?"

"I don't know, I must have issues."

"Must? You have them, dear, for sure."

She then appeared in front of him, ignoring what he just said because she knew he was kidding, and Billy smiled: curly hair falling on her back, glasses, no make-up, wearing her favorite pajama – that seemed to be very warm and comfortable – and, on her feet, her favorite slippers shaped like a moose's head.

Billy gave her a mug filled with hot chocolate milk, she took a sip and then grabbed a vanilla muffin she had made two nights ago.

"Hey; Dr. Morgan invited me for a Halloween party he is having at his 'glorious mansion'" And as she said those two last words, Billy contained a small laugher. "Do you want to come?"

"What? Get all dressed up and have lots of fun holding a fancy drink and eating small samples of food? There's nothing better in the whole world." He was obviously using sarcasm. "I can't, Marie, I'm working at the bar that night. But we can meet back at the house and watch The Corpse Bride while we eat 5 pounds of candy."

"And so we shall, Billy."

As she took the mug to her mouth to take another sip, the doorbell rang. Billy walked to the door:

"She must have forgotten something." Said Billy, referring to the girl that he slept with that night: who else would it be at that hour?

Marie took a big sip of her drink, letting it warm up her insides: such a nice feeling that was. Billy grabbed the door handle and twisted it, after unlocking the door, opening the entrance to their apartment. He was not prepared for the image his eyes captured standing right in front of him. He did not know what to do. He had no freaking idea.

Marie heard the door opening, but didn't hear any voice. She stood up on her feet, leaving the comfortable kitchen chair and walking towards he door as she pronounced "Who is it Billy?" She didn't gave her best friend time to answer, her eyes let the world send the visual stimulus, the information was quickly processed in her brain, a matter of nano seconds, and created the mental image of what she was seeing – in short words, she saw the answer with her own eyes.

Brown, straight, fabulous hair. Eyes that had no defined color and all the colors at the same time, in a mix of mist and mystery letting the world know of a very complex past and a very amazing yet to be discovered future, letting the world know behind those colors was a soul «painted like the wings of butterflies» where fairy tales of yesterday grew but never died. The most incredible desired and pink lips, reminding how innocent but dangerous love can be, lips that, with only one kiss, can make you forget of everything. The perfect bone structure: the perfect jaw line and forehead, the perfect nose.

The healthiest looking body, muscles everywhere; 6'4''; strong and straight posture, like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders but was used to it and had learned to try to live his life without letting that burden get in the way, yet still wished things could be different.

Plaid shirt, leather jacket, boots and jeans: the usual look. His puppy eyes showed the apologies he wanted to speak and an "I miss you" left to say.

"Well… This is my cue to leave." Said Billy, leaving towards the kitchen, giving them some privacy but not too much. He'd leave in a couple hours anyway and then they'd have all the privacy in the world

"Are those moose shaped slippers? And Christmas themed pajamas?" Said the man in front of her, with the most gorgeous smile on her face.

She smiled:

"Shush." A sight left her chest and she launched herself in a hug he offered, hiding her face between his shoulder and neck.

Marie served a cup of freshly made coffee to the man sitting in the living room. She sat next to him, with a smile on her face. She wanted to ask how it all went, but she knew he would keep the truth as a secret… It would take a while until Sam trusted her enough to tell her. I mean, it wasn't a matter of trust: he trusted her enough; he just didn't want to scare her away – even although he was the one who went away.

"Did you have fun on your trip?" She asked.

"Yes, the usual amount of fun."

"What the hell did you do for almost three weeks, always on the road?"

«I killed three vampires, a pagan god and exorcised two people» was what he wanted to say: be able to speak nothing but the truth and not be seen as a lunatic, saying what he actually did those weeks without making people run away; having someone, besides his brother, at the end of the day, waiting to hear news from him and actually listen and try to understand what he felt that hunting trip and what he wanted, deep down, for his future – finish college, settle down, have a family and a dog, a nice house in the suburbs.

"Visiting some historical places in the country, visiting family – or what we have that is close to it. Making memories."

"Seems nice: nothing tying you down to a place, no orders to follow, just drive and have fun."

"It's not as fun as it seems."

"How so?"

"Well, when you meet someone, it's hard to actually have something to call a relationship." She tried to smile, but couldn't: that was not fun, indeed. "Always being on the road as its perks, like everything in the world, but… there's always disadvantages."

"Maybe you should just focus on the good thing in life." She said, holding her head with her hand, her elbow on her knee, as if her neck was tired of supporting all its weight, always looking directly at Sam.

"Maybe I should" said Sam with an immediate smile appearing on his lips. She grabbed her hand and kept it inside that warm cocoon his left hand made around her right one. He leaned in and felt the warm of her breath; he stayed there for a few seconds, being provocative and then finally kissed her, gently, trying to contain how much he missed her and the passion burning inside of him trying to consume his patience.

She smiled when their lips departed.

"So, why are you on your pajamas?"

"I just got home, I was on my way to bed… Like to join me?"

"You, me, bed? Most definitely."

"For sleep, baby, I'm dead tired."

"Same answer." He said, taking off his shoes and leaving them in the living room, along with his jacket. He climbed to bed with her, wearing his t-shirt and boxers, and they both slept on each other's arms for the next four hours.

She woke up after a well-deserved nap, rested and refreshed; but she woke up alone. Marie then felt the smell of eggs, bacon, sausages and toasts. She got up and walked to the kitchen. It was almost 2pm. Sam was only wearing his boxers and that tight white t-shirt, cooking breakfast after lunch time. She smiled and walked to the kitchen, then leaned on the wall, crossed her eyes and just stared at him. He was there, again, finally. Just as he turned off the stove, she grabbed him by the harm and pulled him, making Sam turn around and face her. She kissed him and he took only a fraction of a second to understand what she was doing. He lifted her up, with one hand on the back of her head and the other harm wrapped around her waist. He sat her on the kitchen table and took most of her clothing off. After a few minutes, maybe two, they would be naked, and 30 minutes later they would be eating cold eggs and bacon, standing up, next to the kitchen counter.


	9. Chapter 8 - Halloween (Part 2)

**You can find pictures of the outfits or part of the outfits in my profile page.**

**Again, this isn't a very good chapter, my apologies. I rushed it up so you could read it.**

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**Chapter 8 - Halloween (PART 2)**

Two days passed and Sam did not leave. Dean, Castiel and him were invited to be Marie's company to the Halloween party.

The clock indicated 6:30pm, and Sam Winchester was putting his tie on, looking in the mirror in his girlfriend room. Marie was in her closet, getting ready. Sam put that black thing around his neck and then looked to himself from head to toes: looking good as always.

"Sam, your brother and Castiel will meet us here, right?"

"Yes, don't worry. They'll be here in 30." He said, walking towards the closet. "Can I come in?"

"Can you? Yes. May you? No."

"Grammar nazzi." He played. "Come on, you left for two hours and arrived 30 minutes ago and didn't let me see you."

She put her lip gloss on and then took her sparkly peep toe shoes out of the box. She walk to the bedroom, and turned his back to the door.

"Zip me up, Sam." And so he did. Her hair had been done by a professional: you could see that. The most perfect curls hang on her neck, on a kind of bun. Her dress was long and in the most beautiful light shade of sea green, silk chiffon, wrinkled in the bodice, with a long V neck on the front, and an equal cleavage on the back. She looked like a nymph. No glasses, very natural-looking make-up. She was just… gorgeous. "You may stop staring now, baby."

"You look amazing."

"So do you. Except… are you going like that?"

"What's wrong?"

"Where are your shoes, my love?"

Sam looked to his feet, paying a little more attention. You could see his black socks covering his feet and nothing else.

"Shit." He laughed.

He sat on the bed and put on his shoes that were on the side of the dresser. He then saw, just resting in the night stand, the necklace Marie always were, one way or another: a vintage silver locket, really old looking. Sam picked it up.

"This is probably the first time you take this necklace off." He said, preparing to open the locket and see what was inside.

Marie looked at him, very quickly, with very scare eyes, like a dear on headlights. She took it out of his hand and saved in a very discreet dress pocket.

"Sorry." She spoke. "I just… I'm not supposed to take it off."

"Ever?"

"Ever. I took it today just… I… I don't know why. Hm… Interessting." She shrug and then smiled.

The doorbell rang and Marie picked up her cellphone and put it in her pocket too, took the house keys in her hand and a paper bag with their masks inside and walked to the door. Sam picked his wallet, put it in his blazer and walked with her.

"It's cold outside." Said Sam. "Are you going to take a coat?" He caressed her cheek. God, how right it felt to stand by her side.

She smiled.

"No, Sam, it won't be necessary." He kissed her forehead after she spoke her words.

"We'll see." He said, just so sure she would have a cold by the end of that night.

They both walked out of the apartment and building, meeting Cas and Dean inside the Impala. They both watched the couple walk down the stairs, Marie holding his arm and Sam with a look on his face that he hadn't had in a very very long time. They actually looked like a normal couple. Little did they all know, for sure, how much they were not.

Sam opened the car door for Marie to get in, she did and he closed the door and ran to the other side and got in too.

"Don't you two look fabulous?" She said, more as an affirmation than a question, looking at Castiel and Dean, wearing their best tuxedos .

"Thank you for your compliment." Said Castiel.

"You look amazing yourself." Replied Dean, looking at her with the most unintentional and seductive smile ever, you know, the Dean Winchester look.

They drove to the doctor's mansion, on top of a hill, in the middle of nowhere, in a propriety surrounded by a forest. By the entrance, valets awaited for the guests, to drive their cars into the parking lot. They waited less than a minute for their turn to arrive and when it did, 4 valets rn to open their doors, but only Marie let hers be opened by the boy that intended to. Holding 3 masks, she got out of the car and said thank you to the man, accepting his help to get out of the car, just to be nice. Already wearing her filigree white mask, with pearls and crystals, Marie handed one to the men who came with her, simpler ones, more masculine ones… well, as masculine as a masquerade mask can be.

Sam immediately walk to his date and gave her his arm, he crossed hers with his and they both went up the stairs, followed by Castiel and Dean. The mansion was enormous, the party was alive and exquisite, a string quartet played live, along with a piano man. Later, a blues and jazz singer would take the stage. It looked exactly like an old masquerade ball, except it was a little darker and you could see a subtle Halloween theme everywhere you looked: was it the hanging spider webs and jack o'lanterns or the way the waiters were dressed as rotting dead people, fake blood on some of the guests clothes and faces or the ripped masquerades dresses or one or two Draculas. Whatever costume were they wearing, everyone (or almost everyone) had a mask on their face.

"Look at all the rich snobs." Said Dean, once they were inside and after grabbing a glass of champagne.

"Hey, be polite." Responded Marie, with a motherly look on her face.

Dean took a sip of his drink.

"God, I hate champagne."

"Do you want some beer?" Asked Marie, as Sam and Castiel looked around enjoying the show. They had people dressed as seventeen century zombies in cages and sad clowns performing in a corner.

Damn it: clowns. Sam swallowed hard, afraid. Clowns: one of the things he hated the most.

"Yeah, I think I'd be better with a beer." Dean answered, but still he drank all the champagne in one sip.

Marie called a waiter and asked for three beers and one vodka cranberry. The man went to get what she wanted and, at that exact time, a man in world war I english army uniform approached them, beautiful, blonde perfect hair, eyes painted in the most beautiful and vibrant shade of blue. He looked like a gentleman from the 20's that just came back from war, or was about to departure, leaving behind a rich family, a mother and a soon to be wife, a family known in all of England.

"Miss Colt." He said, in a terribly charming british accent with all the manners a gentleman possessed.

"Dr. Stevens." She tried not to laugh, while she took a bow and he kissed her hand. "This is Sam and Dean Winchester." She presented. "And Castiel…"

"Michelson, he's Castiel Michelson." Finished Dean.

Dr. Stevens, the world war I warrior, that couldn't have more than 30 year old, showed them what Marie categorized as the 3rd most beautiful and breath taking smile in the world (right under Billy's and Sam's smile).

"Nice to meet you, Dean." He said, as he shook their hands. "Castiel. Sam."

"Nice too meet you too, Dr. Stevens."

"Oh please, drop the Doctor. I'm Matthew." He replied, with all the grace a person could have, but a very modern use of words that went completely against his costume. Sam recognized that name. Dr. Matthew Stevens, MD; Marie's coleague.

"How's war?" Asked Dean.

"Over." Smiled Matthew, very politely and entertained. "Who are these fine gentlemen, my dearest Marie?"

"They're my dates, one man just isn't enough."

The man laughed, except one: Castiel.

"Dean and Castiel are my… friends slash Sam's family. And Sam is… well… my actual date."

Matthew's smile was lost for only one fraction of a second, but then appeared, just as graceful, but not as real as before.

"That's marvelous. I hope you are treating Marie for what she is."

"What is that?" Whispered Cas to Dean.

"A lady of course." Answered Matthew, after barely hearing Castiel.

"Yes, Matthew, he is." Said Marie, to make him at peace. Sam smiled: no he wasn't, ladies do not deserve to be abandoned.

"This is not awkward at all." Said Dean, with a mocking smile on his lips.

"Well, I must leave you, I see Spencer and James by the piano. I'll see you in a bit." Matthew said. "Sam, Dean, Castiel." He then look at Marie and showed her a smile that you could not understand if it was a happy or a sad one. His mouth pointed at the first one, but his eyes said otherwise. "Marie." And he kissed her in the cheek, gracefully and carefully, and then left holding his Scotch on rocks.

They watched them leave and when he was far enough, Dean said, teasing them:

"You have that rich snob after you and you chose Sam?"

Samuel sent the evil look to his brother.

"Yes."Answered Marie. "Sam's got better ass." She played.

"That explains all."

She was in the second floor of that mansion, just exploring the place. She was knew to the those kinds of parties and was starting to get bored. He walked silently through the corridors untill she saw someone inside a room. A man, young, he was an employee for Dr. Morgan, not just for that party; he was what you could call the foots man of that house. He was lying in the bed, very still. She then looked closer, and saw blood. Blood painting the bed in red. In the corner of the room, a woman, in a masquerade ball gown, drenched in blood, pale as snow, looked at her and disappeared. The girl couldn't scream: all she could do was run and that's what she did.

Downstairs, the group of four saw her leave, scared, as so did a bunch of other people, but those did not pay attention. Dean and Castiel went to speak to her. Marie excused herself saying she needed to go to the bathroom. Sam wouldn't see her for hours after that, neither would Cas and Dean.

"Sammy, guess what."

"What?" Asked Sam, as he joined Dean and Castiel, in a more isolated corner, next to the stairs.

"We've got a job."

"What?!"

"Yes, that girl just swore she saw a ghost and a dead body in the fifth room to the right, upstairs."

One they got to the room, the man was still there, lying in the bed, drowned in his own blood. They locked the door. If someone else saw that, they would call the police and that would make their job a lot harder. Castiel stayed and guarded the room.

"Who the hell did that?"

"Well, there was no sulfur so my money's on a ghost."

A maid passed by them, running. When they spoke to her, she too said she saw a woman, a ghost of a woman, and added that she knew her: it was Dr. Morgan's daughter. She had died when she was 20 years old, 5 years that exact night. She had been found dead in the stables, but the police said she had not died there. No one ever found out what happened, but the main suspect was now dead: the man in the other room.

The girl's body had been cremated, which meant something of hers was still around.

"It could be anything!" Said Dean. "Her clothing's still probably in her closet, her dolls, her journal, everything." They moved up to her bedroom. There were no clothing, it was probably donated. There was no hair brush, no box with baby teeth. There was nothing that could contain her DNA. "Great, now what?"

"Maybe the stables, I have no idea."

Once Sam got to the stables, he found nothing, only her picture on the wall. But that was just his first look. He saw footsteps, from the stables to a little cottage, in the middle of the trees. The light was on.

Clara, one of the usual waitresses in the mansion, was begging for forgiveness. She was "stuck" to the wall, in the dead girl's old room, floating in the air. Linda, the doctor's dead daughter, was holding a knife in her hand, walking towards the scared little bitch she had on a corner. Finally, revenge.

In the cottage, Sam found a woman, crawled up in a corner, scared. "She's back." She said. "She's going to kill us all."

The first man to be killed was Linda's killer. He had kept the scarf she wore that night.

In the kitchen, Dean hit the ghost with an iron cooking utensil. It disappeared from there, but it came back… In the cottage: the other woman she blamed for her death was there, she'd kill her first. But the ghost found Sam. As he reach for the lighter, the ghost pinned him to the wall and turned her attention to the scared woman in the corner.

"You knew." She mumbled. "You knew and did nothing."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Linda's ghost raised her hand, holding a knife, preparing to kill the woman. Iron passed through her and the ghost was gone. But who had done that?

Sam fell on the floor and lite up the lighter and burned the bloody one year old scarf.

"Is she gone?"

"Yeah." Said Marie, with her eyes set on Sam, answering to the woman's question. "She's most likely gone."


	10. Chapter 9 - Ungodly Hour

**Chapter 9 – Ungodly Hour**

Marie opened the door and entered the apartment, Sam followed her, in total and absolute silence. She unzipped her dress, with difficulty, hoping Sam would notice and help her, somehow breaking that terrible tension between them. She looked at him, over her shoulder: he was going through the books resting in the shelves, outside the bedroom.

She hung her dress back in the closet, exiting Sam's sight.

All those books about myths and monsters, all the religions in the world, the "prank" under the carpet… How did he not know? Not for sure, at least?

While she was in the closet, Sam traded his clothing for grey cotton track suit pants, his pajama bottom. Marie leaned against the door jamb and just watched him, with a heavy look on her face. She had seen that tattoo so many times before and, all those times, she chose not to ask: she already knew he answer. She just… She wanted to see if he'd ever tell, when he would tell her; how long would it take before Samuel trusted her enough. Or maybe… Maybe she was just trying to delay things, you know, procrastinate reality and just make it much simpler for both of them.

Oh Sammy, your will of having a normal life betrayed you and stopped you from being sure of what was right in front of you. Your wish of being ordinary forbade you from trusting your own eyes and clouded your judgement.

The secrets about her past, the books, the devil's trap. How could you not know, for sure, that she was one of yours? Where you that desperate to leave hunting behind? To just settle down and try to have a family, if not with her with someone else, like you were going to do with Jess? The necklace she never took off… «Sam? Don't ever let her take it off», the absent family…

Oh Sam! And while you ignored the truth she probably knew your secret, for a very long time, and was giving you the chance to tell her your own, giving you time to trust her. Or maybe she didn't even care, maybe she was trying to make things easier for you; maybe she wanted to save you both from facing that reality none of you chose, maybe she…

She's right there Sammy, waiting, in very short shorts and a large sweater, holding her entire body against the wall. Maybe she didn't know, maybe she chose to ignore the truth, just like you did, Sam. Maybe she did not know and is now scared of what follows next. Maybe she's afraid of you, because something in your eyes always told her not to trust you. Maybe she finally saw the anger you hide from the world…

Oh Sammy, no! You don't know that, but she's not afraid of your other possible, and certain, secrets. She is, indeed, scared of what follows next, but not because she chose to ignore reality, but because she does not know how you feel about the situation you're both in. She doesn't know if you already knew or if it came as a surprise. She's just scared you don't trust her anymore; she's afraid you'll choose to leave because she can't be apart of your 'normal' and 'alternative' life. What you don't know is that, if you choose the latter, she won't be able to handle it. Well… You're still in her house; guess that's good news for now.

Marie just looked at him, in silence. Her hair fell on her back, hiding half of her face. God… He was so quiet, what was he thinking? Maybe she was actually a great liar and he bought all her excuses and never had a clue that she was kind of like him.

He had told her he wanted a normal life, someday: that was not a normal life. I mean, she knew they wouldn't be together forever but she never thought, and never wished for things to end like that, because of that.

He walked towards her and grabbed the necklace she had on. He opened the locket: on one side her family picture, on the other an anti-possession symbol, much like Sam's tattoo.

His eyes found hers, scared, golden but not has calm and confident as usual. Physical touch was something they both desired at that moment, because it meant everything would be okay. If they could not hug, or hold hands, or touch the other's cheek, everything was terribly wrong.

Her eyes said the words he so desperately wanted to pronounce: I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for all the secrets, I'm sorry for not trusting you enough or thinking that I didn't. I'm sorry for not wanting to make your bag much heavier and I'm sorry for the way I did it. My dear, I apologize for changing things and creating this silence. I'm sorry you had to see that.

Sam's lips opened, but made no sound. What was he supposed to say? Her eyes got a little sadder.

His mouth opened a second time and this time Samuel succeeded: he broke the silence that had ruled for the past two hours.

"Did you know?"

She said yes, moving her head up and down.

"Did you?" Marie replied.

"I wasn't sure. I guess, unconsciously, I decided to ignore the facts."

"For all that's worth, I'm not a hunter", she spoke, "This was a one time thing. I only hunt them when they come to me. My parents are the hunters. I don't follow them, but I can't ignore them if I find one on the streets. Which is unfortunate."

"I'm sorry."

"For what Sam? You did nothing wrong. You didn't bring hunting back to my life. In fact, if you and your brother were not here, I would have never been able to finish that job by my own. Those two women would have died." She caressed his hair. "But I made you waste your time. I'm never gonna have a normal life. I'm always going to worry about my parents and their hunting trips, if they ever need my help: I'll tag along. I'm going to salt my future kids' bedrooms and draw traps under every carpet, jus in case. We probably wouldn't last that long, but… a one hundred percent normal life with me is not possible."

"Do you think I would ever have one of those? I can't just forget what I've seen over these past years." They stayed in silence, for a few seconds, untill he grabbed her hand, without even noticing. "I'm not leaving, if that's what you're worried about. This is nothing compared to my daily life. It's piece of cake. Chicken soup. I can get used to this in my sleep, without even trying!" She laughed, softly; he smiled.

"Well… I guess we have a lot to talk about." She said, sitting in bed.

"Yes we do. And you might be the one leaving after that."

They told each other all there was to be said. Marie told him she was born in Port Angeles, December 13rd 1986, to a family of father was hunting a vampire nest in New Hampshire, that exact same night: he wasn't the second person to hold her, her brother was. Her dad's grandfather was from Poland and his grandmother from Greece, that's why her name was so weird – Marie Artemis Colt-Lazarus. (Sam laughed a little, she had never told him her full name) When both her parents decided to go hunting, she and her brother often stayed with a neighbour or with their grandparents. When her brother reached 15 years old, he was the one who took care of Marie, during their parents hunting trips. At 18, he left, forced by his parents and Marie left when she turned that same age: she was 15 when her brother left and had spent 3 years taking care of herself when her parents were in God knows where hunting God knows what. She went to college and got a job. In 8 years of being on her own, she hunted only 3 things, but sometimes she searched for cases and gave them to her dad. Billy's brother was a hunter too and so was their dad and their oldest uncle.

Then, it was Sam's turn. He told her about his mother's deal and how she died in November 2nd 1983. Sam told her about his father's will to hunt down and kill the demon that had done that and how Dean was the one who basically raised him. He told her how he ran to go to college, about Jess and how she died and how that was the beginning of the Winchester brothers hunting trips. Samuel told Marie about all the bumps in the road, his psychic stuff, how is father sold his soul for his older son, how he, himself, died and Dean's deal to save him. He told her how they opened Hell's gates and how his big brother killed Azazel. How he got into business with Ruby, how Dean was killed by hell hounds and was gripped tight and saved from Perdition by an angel – Castiel.

"I thought he was too pretty and nice to be human." She joked. Sam laughed.

She then went back to just listening and not saying a word, with a very calm, ensuring and focused expression.

Sam told Marie he drank demon blood, that he could kill demons just by snapping his fingers. How he started the Apocalypse by killing Lilith. (He paused, expecting that she would run. She told him to go on, with no fear in her eyes). He told him about Lucifer and how he was his vessel and how Dean was Michael's: the two brothers, destined to fight each other to death.

She got up and went to the kitchen. Sam followed and kept talking, at her request. She made coffee and he told her about everything that was left to say. He told her about everyone they lost in battle, all the people he had loved: his family. He told her about all the terrible things he had done and how he wished he could redeem himself.

When he stopped talking, the sun had been shining for a few hours: they got into bed and she cuddled up in his embrace, made his hug her safe point. They could talk more later, if anything still needed to be told by then.

Marie gave Sam one last look and he smile, with gentleman's manners that she was not used to anymore, like he was from the 19 hundreds and needed permission to do what he desired, like it was an outrageous thing for two unmarried people to do that:

"Can I kiss you?"

She smiled and said yes. The kiss lasted only a few seconds: sweet and quick. Everything had been said: all was good, the rest could wait… Their ungodly hours were finally over.


	11. Chapter 10 - Waiting on an angel

**Chapter 10 – Waiting on an angel (Kiss me)**

The sun had set a few hours ago and now the night sky was covered by a thick layer of dark grey clouds, filled with water that threatened to fall over the world and drown everyone in it. A thunder made its point by shouting out to the city and making the girl in the couch tremble. She was wearing her boyfriend's shirt, the one he left there, abandoned on a couch, and was actually waiting for him. He had been missing for 4 days: she hadn't heard of him yet – no text messages, no phone calls.

As the thunder shouted, the rain started to fall down and she looked through the living room's window. It was so dark outside. She looked to the cellphone: it had been quiet all day. It was November 30, she hadn't seen him in little less than a month. She turned the volume of the TV down a little, just so she could hear the rain falling on her roof garden.

She fell asleep pretty quick, while re-watching season 1 of one of her favorite shows: Downton Abbey.

When she woke up, the sun was shining as bright as in a Spring day, it was the most beautiful day so far. The sun was shining, almost no clouds in the sky, there was a small humidity in the air from the rain that fell from the skies the night before. She grabbed her phone: 9am, one new text message.

«Back in town, meet me at the park, 10 am. Late breakfast.»

Her face just lit up and she ran to the closet. What would she wear? Well, silk burgundy, kind of see-through, shirt, with a little knot at the end so it wouldn't be that long; dark jeans, royal blue military double skirt hem wooden coat; Brown leather Troopa Boots; skull earring studs, leather bracelet and her usual necklace. She took a shower, to relax and, at the same time, wake up and refresh herself. She dried her body, put on a semi-corset bra, sexy short boxers and got dresses in her outfit. She dried her hair with a blow dryer and put some perfume on, as well as some black eyeliner. She put her keys, some money and cellphone on her coat pockets and ate a small apple before leaving.

He was waiting for her at the agreed place, sitting on a garden bench, wearing regular jeans, a flannel blue, black and grey shirt and one of the usual jackets. His hazzle eyes observed the streets, waiting for her to appear. His brown hair danced with the little wind there was on the streets. He had his earphone's on and was listening to AC/DC's "Shook me all night long". He was nervous and couldn't keep in feet still. He looked around: so many people and no sight of his girl. He looked to his boots and took a deep breath. "Calm down, you ass. She'll come." He was just scared she was done with all the waiting for weeks so they could have only a few days together. Maybe she didn't like him anymore. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe she had met someone that last month.

Once he lifted his head up and looked to the other side of the street, all those thoughts were gone. The wind made her hair dance gracefully, her smile made her glow in this way that no one can compare. There she was: his own and personal angel. The one that would always be waiting for him no matter what, or so it seemed. The one he could come to and feel like he was always home, no matter how terrible things were. If she was there, it was basically heaven.

She crossed the road and he got up. He supported her and picked her up when she ran to him and jumped to his arms. He felt her sweet and warm perfume. The silky curls of her hair and the smooth touch of her hands in his hair. It was like they were teenagers again. And that's how it always should be, a more grown up of a teenager's love.

He put her down when she tried to do so and then gave her the most intense kiss. With her eyes still closed, she hid her face in his chest, with both her hand holding his face. In a few years, he would hold his face making that same gesture, in a moment that would change their lives forever; he'd kiss her and hold her face, just like he was hugging her, holding his entire world.

"I hate you, you jackass."

He smiled:

"I missed you too, Marie."

She then looked to his face. He had a small wound on his eyebrow, that was in the early stages of the process of healing. She did not like that. It made her worried. She knew it was just a small little cut, but there are so many bad things that can happen to a hunter. If she worried that much with just a small cut, how would she feel when she found out he was at the hospital because some damn thing beat the crap out of him?

"It's nothing." He said, trying to reassure her when he saw that she was worried.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! This is nothing compared to what happens sometimes. You've seen all my scars, this is a drop in the ocean." And that's how Samuel Winchester failed to reassure the girl he had fell in love with. "It's nothing. What do you want to have for breakfast?"

She stayed in silence for a while, trying to shake the thought of him getting hurt. He grabbed her chin, with a smile.

"Silly." He called her, kissing her forehead. "Breakfast?"

"Pancakes." She finally revealed.

They had breakfast and talked about the past month, in greater detail since they talked at least 1 hour every week when Sam was on a hunting trip. And then they wen't back to her apartment.

She took her jacket and left it on her way to the bedroom. She sat on the bed and took off her boots which took a little while. He leaned on the shelves, not wearing his coat anymore, with a grin on his lips.

"Those are not the most sexy boots when it comes to taking them off are they?"

She laughed, throwing the second boot to a corner of the room.

"No, Sam, no they are not." She then looked at him, biting her lip, with her big eyes staring right back at his. "What do you want to do now?"

He smiled. Like she didn't knew already.

"I've been away for a month. What do you think?" He said that with all the possible innocence anyone can say a sentence like that.

He tried not to smile as she got up, but when he saw his smile caused by her attempt of maintaining a serious expression, she laughed just a little, and the sound of a small cute giggle spread in the air.

Marie walked up to him and Sam stood straight. She kissed him gently, like she was nervous, like someone who was just so in love and missed him so much that wanted to take things slowly. He replied to the kiss by grabbing her hips under the shirt and touching her warm and smooth skin. She felt the warm touch of his skin and felt a shiver go down her spine. She kissed him again with a little more violence, but still softly, reliving memories, putting a slow end to the words "I miss you" as if they could ever vanish forever.

She unbuttoned his shirt and he took it off, as well as the t-shirt he had underneath it, looking at their while she took her blouse off. As the fire burned slowly, he kissed her again and she unzipped his old jeans. He pulled them down and then did the same to her jeans. With one hand on her neck and the other on the headboard and their lips together, he lay her down in the bed with him on top of him, supporting his frame so he wouldn't crush her with his weight. They kissed a little more, and she passed her hands on his back, scratching slowly and unintentionally as he kissed her neck and started an unbearable fire that burned her whole body, slowly, as he bit and kissed her skin.

He sat on the bed, kind of kneeling, and pulled her to his lap. He took her bra off and she put one arm around his neck, as Samuel kissed her breasts, and took the other hand to the bump between his legs, stroking his already erect penis.

He grabbed her left nipple with his teeth and pulled it a little, just enough so it would hurt a tiny little bit, but in a way that was still more hot than painful. The pushed him so he'd fall on his back and got out of his lap for a second. Hey both took the rest of their underwear off. She got back on him and moved her hips, first slowly and then faster and faster, as he requested it, between moans and heavy breaths. He grabbed her somewhere between her ass and her lower back, her hips, trying to control the speed at what she moved her body. She scratched his chest and his shoulders. They went on for almost two hours, changing positions, speeding up, slowing down.

Same came and then just stood still for a second, biting her lip and pulling it roughly, making her bleed a little from her mouth, she licked it. He then fell on the bed, beside her, both of them breathing heavily, trying to calm down and gain control of their bodies again. When they recovered their normal states, she covered herself with the sheets that covered the bed. She passed her finger the new scar on his chest, a small, very discreet one, still fresh. She kissed it and then kissed his lips. She spent a whole month waiting on her angel: he was finally there.


	12. Chapter 11 - What part of forever

Chapter 11 – What part of forever

It had been a hard day at work. A car accident sent three people to the hospital: two died. His hands had been covered with blood all afternoon. Every time he changed gloves and washed his hands, another patient needed his help, and another patient bled out in his care. The worst wasn't even the 3 people from the car accident, nor the man that fell from the latter: Matthew Stevens saw that every single day. A young woman, in her early 20's, was pushed down the stairs by her husband, he was mad and taking antidepressants that often make people violent. He did not mean it, it was a random act, but still. The young woman was named Kathryn: she was 6 months pregnant. After the fall, she had one dislocated shoulder, a broken leg, a cracked head and was carrying a dead baby inside her.

When she woke up from her uncounscient state, she was all taken care off, but they still had to tell her that her baby boy, whom they where planning to name Ian, had died and it was advised to her to let the doctors remove the baby. She cried for hours until her husband, or what would be her ex-husband, pretty soon after that, Matthew was sure of it, convinced her to do such. She gave birth to a small dead baby boy, freeing herself from future infections (if she decided to carry the baby full-term) but condemning them to a hard reality: their baby would not cry, their baby would not search for it's mother breast, and touch her skin in order to feel safe, they would not see him grow up, go to school, get married, have his own children; their baby would go to a very small coffin and be burried under ground as a child who didn't even get the chance to see the world.

Matthew Stevens parked his car by the driveway, and walked fast to the door: he wanted to get in the house so badly. The sun was shining: it was pretty close to noon. He had worked for 24 hours in a row and just needed to get home. The neighbour's kids were still playing outside and the rays of sun made his suburb house look even more perfect. By the coffee table, in the porch, next to the swing: a cup with nothing more than a straw and a lemon slice; she must have drunk lemonade and forgot the cup outside, he tought, while he picked it up. He unlocked the door and went outside, leaving his keys and jacket at the hall.

"Darling, I'm home" He said, as he walked to the kitchen. In the oven, thin slices of chicken breast covered with cereal were roasting, bean rice was getting ready in the stove and some vegetables were already cooked and were just waiting to be taken out of the pot and put in a bowl. But she was not in the kitchen.

"Hello, honey, how was your day?" He heard her say, her sweet voice coming from the living room.

"It was fine." He lied, sitting in the couch next to her and taking her curly hair out of the way. She knew he was lying, and also knew he did not want to talk about it. He kissed her cheek. She then looked at him, with golden eyes and glasses. Marie Artemis Colt-Lazarus smiled at him. "Hello, most gorgeous wife in the whole world." He then took his hands to her stomach, that had the tiniest bump. "And hello most wanted baby in the world, hello baby in the belly."

After dinner, they sat on the couch again, with the tv on. She was watching The Walking Dead, he was reading "The Maias", written by Eça de Queiroz: his wife had convinced him to. She loved Portuguese classics, her grandmother was from Portugal, so it was natural of her to be a lot related to the Portuguese culture and feel interest by it's literature.

A woman screamed, the sound came from the tv. Matthew was caught by surprise, but Marie released a sound of content:

" Pff… Scaredy-cat."

"It's a show about a zombie apocalypse, my love. The woman earned her right to be a scaredy-cat."

"Please. All they have to do is chop off their heads. I could do that, while being 9 months pregnant. Find some zombies in 3 months, I'll prove it to you."

He closed the book for a second and looked at her.

"Thank you so much for creating that image in my head." Marie laughed. "Should you actually be watching that?"

"Yes. I am preparing our baby to the apocalypse. I read the revelations today, out loud, so the baby would hear it, preparing him to the biblical apocalypse. Now, the zombie apocalypse. Tomorrow, a natural one."

He rolled his eyes and laughed, but he didn't think it was hat funny, but still… she was the one carrying a small person inside her.

"Hey! I am eating super healthy and I only eat a very small bowl of ice cream a day. I've been listening to classical music and talking in english, portuguese, Greek and Italian, so our baby will be super smart. I did 5th degree equations today and spoke all the steps out loud so I give birth to a math genius. I planned to read the first chapter of some anatomy book during the morning. Plus, I have been married to you for 2 years and not once have I threatened you with divorce nor have I waked you in the head with a spoon." Matthew laughed. She tried to say serious. "Yeah, laugh all you want. I have earned my right to raise my kid to be an ass kicker."

"Off course, my love, off course." The episode ended and she got up, turning the tv off.

"Well, I'm going to bed. I don't even know how the hell you're still awake but I'm just exhausted."

"I'll be up in a minute."

When he got to his bedroom, Marie was already dressed in a white long cotton nightgown, she had already washed her teeth and was in he bed, covered by the egyptian silk sheets, reading a Stephen King book. No matter how tired she was, Marie always read at least 3 pages of one of her favorite writer's book. He traded his clothing for pajama pants with blue and white stripes and a white large t-shirt. He washed his teeth ans his face and then climbed inside the king size bed. His wife closed the book and lied down beside him, with a smile on her face. He kissed her on the lips and he too smiled:

"I love you, my darling."

"I love you too." She replied, right after turning off the lights and right before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

He fell asleep shortly after, right beside his gorgeous wife, the woman he swore to love forever. At 30 years old, Matthew Daniel Stevens was 30 years old and, married to the mos wonderful woman he had ever met, he was going to have a baby. If a girl, the baby would be named Genevieve; if a boy, Caleb. Their kid would grow in a loving family, live in a house in the suburbs and learn latin.

He felt confused, out of place. His eyes could barely open and look around, but he could see darkness. It was almost pitch dark. That place smelled like an old and closed building. He felt fear, a lot… He was so scared and couldn't make out why. He saw a silhouette of a woman, standing still, in a position which basically seemed to draw a woman sleeping standing up. You could hear a constant drip od water, drop by drop, falling on the floor. His sight was blurred. His eyes moved slowly but, at the same time, seemed to move so fast. The moonlight entered through the small window and allowed him to see a bag of blood, hanging from the ceiling.

Matthew woke up drenched in sweat, in an empty bed. Marie ran from the bathroom to the bedroom, when she heard her husband suddenly wake up.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She said, holding his face while he tried to get back to reality. "Baby, it's okay, it was just a dream, my love. Shhhh…" She held him in her arms. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I… I guess so."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"I do, but I can't. I don't even know what I dreamed about. But thank you, my love."

She kissed his forehead.

"Wha are you doing up, anyways?"

"I had to pee." She smiled. He laughed.

In the next morning, Matthew took his wife to the beach. They walked by the ocean, they had lunch in a restaurant near the beach and then went shopping, in a little street full of boutiques, in a small town. He spent a bunch of money buying clothing for Marie, the most spoiled woman in the world. They then sat on a bench, under a huge tree, in a very friendly and green park. Matthew felt his whole world shaking, but the ground was not moving. Marie moaned, in pain.

"What is it?"

"Probably nothing." She answered.

«Watch out!», Matthew heard a man scream. But it seemed to be so far away, from a whole other universe.

Another sound of pain came from his wife mouth and she felt something coming down her naked legs.

"Oh, God." She mumbled. "Oh God, Matthew! Please, no, no, no, no." Down her legs, a river of blood.

Matthew fell on the floor, has he had been pushed and pinned down. He wanted to help her but could not get up, he just couldn't move. He was lying in his wife's blood, his baby's death, his life's ending.

"Matthew, help me. No, please don't, oh god. Don't you die on me, baby. Please, please."She cried, helpless. "Help me, please, help me."

Her tears fell down her face and the blood created a red pool on the floor.

He felt like he was waking up from a very bad dream, unfortunately, to a worst one. suddenly, all was black and then, Samuel Winchester was by his side, calling an ambulance. He looked o his left. A few feet away, Marie took her family knife (an ebony scottish dagger, with a silver blade and a topaz in the handle) from a dead man's body, a man whose skin was filled with blue weird tattoos.

"Eww, Jynx's blood." She then cleaned the knife in the dead man's clothing and walked to Dean Winchester, still getting up after getting thrown all the way to the other side of the room. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Is Dr. Stevens alive?" Dean asked.

"Yes, and ambulance is on it's way. We should go, now."

Marie looked a Matthew. "Oh, what the hell where you doing over here…."

His barely opened eyes closed again and only reopened when he reached the hospital.


	13. Chapter 12 - That drum's still beating

****I'm so sorry it took so long for me to post a new chapter and I'm sorry it's such a crappier chapter. Please forgive my misspelling and all the other mistakes, didn't have time to review it. In compensation another terrible chapter will be posted before Christmas. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 12 – That drum's still beating, loud and clear**

The free will team was sitting at a table, at a local diner: Dean was eating a cheeseburguer, the most greasiest one they had on menu, while Sam was eating a ceaser salad with a sliced chicken breast, along side with a natural fruit juice. Dean looked at him like he did everyday, when Sam ordered a salad while there where so many delicious things on menu like chips, burguers, beef and pie.

They where in Port Angeles because of a job: two partners, who owned a construction company, had died in the last three days and they where trying to figure it out. The brothers and the angel where already using their desguises and would soon head to the man's wake, that was happening in the widow's house. The three of them still hadn't settle in a motel, they had decided to leave that for latter; they were in town for an hour and needed to play their parts in the hunting game they called their job.

A waitress walked to their tabble and handed a piece of pie, with a smile on her face:

"Here you go, Father, your cherry pie."

Dean had such a good line to follow that, but could not use it: what a shame, she was such a gorgeous young woman.

"Thank you, dear." Said Father Reed, aka Dean Winchester, son of Mary and John.

The waitress walked away and, discretly, Dean watched her do so, with that "sassy" look on his face.

Samuel Winchester was constantly checking his phone for a message, but nothing. She hadn't called or answered his calls for a couple of days. Marie had told him she was going to her home town with Billy, because his uncle had passed away and he wanted to attend his funeral.

The house was the regular suburb family house: white fence, a porch, painted in yellow, with a swing by the door. The street and all the houses' roofs were covered with late December's snow. It was the 22nd day of the last month of 2012. They knocked on the door and a woman opened, a few seconds later.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Mason?" Asked Father Reed. "We are new to the congregation and we wanted to pay our respects. We are so sorry for your lost."

"Thank you, please, come in."

That's what they did. There where close to 30 people inside the house, all in black, all with sincere long faces. While Dean and Castiel walked to the kicthen, following the widow with the intention of asking her a few questions, Samuel, or Father Rae, walked to the living room and politely smile at everyone who passed by him – a polite but sad smile, just that face expression was enough, and there was no need to say "Sorry for your lost".

He was looking for Benedict Mason, son of Michael Mason. He was in his 20's, had dark hair and dark eyes and was sitting in the couch with a very sad look on his face, the expression of a son who just lost his father.

In front of him, also sitting on a couch and with their backs turned on Sam, a woman with straight reddish hair (like Marie's minus the curls), beehive style, with a white lace band on her hair. Next to her, a man with a mohoak, between light brown and blond, taller then the woman next to him. Sam walked to Benedict, ignoring the other two people, forgetting to look at them.

"Benedict?" The young man looked at him. "I'm Faher Rae, I'm so sorry for your lost."

"Thank you Father, so are all of we."

"I am sure he's in a better place now. I believe he is."

"Do you, Father?" A sound of disbelief came out of the boy's mouth and left Sam with no reaction. The he continued, with the 'normal' sad tone on his voice. "This is my cousin and a family friend: Billy Carlyle and Marie Lazarus."

As he said the last two names, Sam was already looking at her, with a surprised face he had to contain.

"Sam Rae, is that you?" She said, helping him get into character since Ben had noticed his out of context surprised look. "It's been such a long time, so unfortunate that we had to meet under such conditions." Benedict looked at her, as claiming an explanation. "We went to highschool together, we were in the same English class back in the 11th grade." She proceeded to explain. "Will you excuse us, Tim, Billy?"

"Yes, be my guest." Said Billy, not giving a rat's ass about it.

"Please do. I'm glad someone in this room has the slightess reason to be excited, even if it's just for a few minutes." Marie smiled. Poor boy. She had been his babysitter for a few times, he was such a good person. She got up and, before walking with Sam, kissed Ben on the cheek. "I am so sorry, Benny."

"I know. So am I."

She walked to the hallway with Sam and grabbed her coat and put it on, covering her beautiful navy blue dress. They walked outside and, as soon as the door was closed, Marie proceeded to hug him as hard as she could.

"I'm so glad you're here."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine. As for Billy, not so much, which makes me not as fine as I should be."

"I'm sorry."

"It will pass. So, let me guess. You're here for Michael's case?"

"Yes. What do you know about it?"

"They made a deal, 30 years ago. I know, it's a longer deal than usual, but they had the demon trapped, so."

"What do you mean trapped?"

"OH! They where hunters, haven't I mentioned that? They were hunters since they where little, and 30 years ago they asked for a normal life. They were brothers and wanted out. They wanted a house, a family, their own company. The demon could only give them 30 years, at least that's what they said. They made the deal and, in payment, Michael and Richard gave them their souls and released the demon from the trap he was in. Richard was burried two days ago: his wife didn't want an autopsy and just burried her husband, she said he diserved rest."

"So… There's nothing here anymore?"

"Nope. It was a waist of the Impala's gas."

"Not completely." He smiled, putting his hand on her cheek, preparing to lean in for a kiss.

"What are you doing, Father Rae? Sam, seriously, someone could see us."

"I seriously couldn't care less."

She hugged him and whipered in his ear:

"Wait a little longer and meet me at my family's house, it's on Forrest Side, number 13. The three of you can stay there. And I'll compensate you for the last few days of no calling, I really couldn't find the time. Billy is staying here tonight, so you'll have me all for yourself." He smiled, she bit his earlobe. "Okay?"

"Okay."

The clock indicated it was 7pm and the fireplace heated all the divisions of **chalet**. Marie was at her childhood house, a reasonally big house, in the style of a montain house, since it was near the forrest. The next house was at 36 ft away, they were pretty separated from each other. The house was beautiful on the outside and on the inside. The living room was huge and the kicthen was "under" the stairs. A big Christmas tree as one of the first things a person would see when entering the house. It was an artificial tree, as to spare the green life from deforrestation, decorated with golden and red Christmas balls, sparkly little stars and raindeers, little angels and fake pine cones. A huge star was on top of the tree and yellow lights went all around the tree. Underneath it, there where at least 20 gifts, all wrapped in pretty bows.

Marie was in the kitchen and she was wearing her grey uggs, black thie-high whool socks and her one of her brother's old flannel shirt, with a black, grey, dark blue and red plaid pattern. She was still wearing her beehive and the little lace band. The Sheppard's pie wouldn't be done for another hour, but a orange cake with rasphberry and chocolate ganache fealing was alreay done. The tabble was set in the dinning room, so she would have to do it latter, and the red wine was on the fridge. Marie finished washing her baking utensils and walked to the living room and, right before she sat on the couch, the doorbell rang.

As soon as she opened the door, Sam attacked her, kissing her violently. She closed the door with her foot, stopping the snow from coming in to the house.

"They won't be here for another hour, I got a cab so I'd arrive earlier." He said, while taking his coat, scarf off.

"Slow down, honey, I'm not going anywhere." She said, releasing herself from his kiss and picking up his clothing and putting them on the coat hanger. "First: I bought three pairs of slipers on my way here. Take your shoes off, no one walks nor barefoot nor with outside shoes in my parent's house."

He smiled and traded his boots, leaving them at he entrance, and putting his slippers on.

"Seriously?"

"Yep. It's more comfortable and it doesn't get the house all dirty. Second: my parent's will be here on the 24th and I am counting that you and your own family will join us."

"For what?"

"For Christmas, silly. It's been just us for a very long time and it would be nice to have other people over. You don't have to present yourself to my family as my boyfriend, that's fine. But please stay. It's Christmas, you shouldn't spend it at a motel nor on the road."

"I'll stay. And I'm sure Dean and Castiel will too."

"Great. Now, moving on." Marie then walked towards Samuel and grabbed his belt buckle, and took the leather belt off. When Sam smiled and tried to push his pants down, Marie immediately stopped him. "No one asked for your help, mister." She said, with an authoritary look on her face.

His silent laugh was stopped by her kissed, with Marie's tongue finding it's way inside Sam's mouth. She pulled his pants down and then went back to kissing. She pushed them, slowly, and almost as if she wasn't doing it on purpose, to the door and trapped him bettwen the door and her. Their breaths were getting heavier and their hearts started to beat faster for they were so close to eachother and hadn't seen one and other in two weeks. Her left hand grabbed Sam's hair and her right hand found it's way from his waist to his crotch and started to stroke it gently, making Sam moan almost silently, and making it hard for him to concentrate on making out with her. He threw his head back a little, with his eyes closed and Marie smiled, kissing and sensualy biting his jaw while her hand slided down Sam's lower abdomen to the inside of his boxers and grabbed his hard dick. Her hand slowly moved "up" and "down", "up" and "down" and then did it faster and faster until Sam's moaning became actually a sound you could hear.

Not beeing abble to cointain it anymore and burning with lust, Samuel opened her shirt by just ripping the bottons off, picked Marie up and inverted the positions, holding her against the door. She wrapped her legs around him with all the strengh she had and put her arms around him, supporting her own very light weight so Sam had his hands available. He unbuttoned the one button his boxers had and opened that "space", his penis needed no help to come to he outside of the clothing. With one finger, Sam pulled Marie's panties to the side, on the genital area, opening some space without taking that piece of clothing off; and he rubbed his dick against her vagina, just to provocate her a little.

"Just do it Sam." She said, with a dry mouth and the temperature rising even more. "Stick it inside me, c'mon, do it. Do it hard, Sam."

He did it, making her grabbed his hair and pulling it a little bit. In and out, in and out, Sam fucked her hard, just as she asked, with one hand on the wall and the other grabbing Marie's left breast. Faster and faster and faster, harder and harder and harder, until she screamed and scracthed his back. Then three times slower, in and out, until he was done.

The pression Marie's legs made around his body got smaller and she fell on her feet, as Sam released her. He put his dick inside the boxers and smiled, trying to regain his breath. Marie was leaning against the door and had her eyes closed; if they were opened, she would be looking at the celling. The shirt was ruined, her painties were wet and she was out of breath. Her breasts were showing and normally she would cover them immediately, but she was to focused on getting her heart beat and her breathing rate back to normal. She felt Samuel right in front of her, but did not look. One deep breath, another one and she felt something around her right nipple, a mouth. Sam was almost kneeling down and was kissing and biting and licking and sucking her on the right nipple, as he pulled the other one with his fingers.

"Don't do that." She whispered trying to control herself.

"Do you want me to stop?" He said, leaving her right nipple alone and taking his left hand to the inside of her panties, while pulling her left nipple, to cause a mix of pain and pleasure, and making her scream: her nipples and neck were two of her three weak spots.

"No." She responded.

He played with her still wet vagina, making it more and more wet, stucking his fingers inside – first one, then two, then three; while bitting and pulling her nipples. He then proceeded to pull her pants down, kneel in front of her and taking his mouth to her vagina and licking it untill she screamed one more time and actually begged him to stop.

She pushed him away and pulled up her underwear, putting it back on.

"Thank you." She said, looking at Sam whom was sitting on the floor just watching her with an evil smile. "For ruining my shirt." She covered herself, by overlapping the two diferente sides of the shirt and holding it with her hands. She started to walk up the stairs. Sam grabbed his pants and his bag and followed her.

"Where are you going?"

"Taking a quick bath and changing so I can go finish dinner." She answered him, entering the second door on the left. He followed her and encounter a vintage decorated bedroom, with one green wall and three white ones, one white wall covered in vynil records. Her bed was queen sized and had a white lace quilt and 20 different pillowes on top: floral paterns, sequins… There was a TV from the 60's with a wodden box and four wodden feet, it's picture was in black and white, for sure, and on top of this one a amplifier that was connected to a record player and two speakers. There was 3 paper lamps hanging from the ceiling and a white dressing table, in a baroque style. On top of the hairdresser / dressing table where two diferent perfumes: wonderstruck and PINK fresh&clean. The bed was painted in aubergine purple, the same color has the rug. Marie entered through this door that was covered in old pages, from antique books. Sam could see devil's traps in those pages, monsters, but also parts of Romeo and Juliet, some pages in portuguese, "A Cidade e as Serras, Eça de Queiroz" in one of them, and many other words. With that door opened, Sam could see a black bathroom, a large one, that seemed to be shared qith the bedroom on the first door on the left, back in the hallway.

Marie took her clothes off and sent it to the basket of dirty clothing, while the shower was running and the water was getting warmer. She entered the shower and Sam walked to a shelf full of books. There he saw one book that was not labled, but had a beautiful leather cover. Samuel grabbed it and opened it, sat on a chair and started to read it. It was a book Marie herself had writen, it was dated 2003 on the first page, the year she had written it. There was no name for that book, just a number of pages filled with words that made sentences, sentences that made paragraphs and paragraphs that made chapters, chapters that turned to a story. Samuel did not seem to notice the time passing by, as his eyes scatered those words very carefully in order to miss none. He didn't hear the watter being turned off, nor the blow drier being used to re-straighten her hair (it only needed a touch). He only stopped reading when Marie aproached him, all dressed. She had left him in the bedroom to read while she finished diner and let Dean and Cas in and took them to the guest room that had two single beds, one for each.

Her girlfriend had her typical jeans on and a knitted shirt, she was also wearing her necklace and her most gorgeous smile that just lit up the room.

"Baby, come on, dinner is ready." Sam looked at her, when he heard her voice and put the book on the bed and put his pants on. Samuel walked down the stairs and felt the scentof comfort food and the perfume of burning wood. Dean appeared from the kitchen, holding the bread basket and put it on the tabble. Castiel sat down and so did Dean. Marie smiled and Sam sat down to. She walked to the kitchen and came back with the main course, that she put on the table and sat down to. The smiles on their faces and the nie conversation made it look like the weird family in Marie's book: blood didn't have to be what made people family, unexpected bonds can cross our paths and create families you didn't expect they were possible. The brothers and the angel knew eachother for years, but Marie only knew them for a couple of months; still, they cared about eachother, wasn't that enough?

For the first time, in many years, they would not work during Christmas, they were not in a motel nor on the road, they were home, although that was not their house.

December 23rd, 9 am, the funeral happened. Marie and the three priests attended it, and payed their respects. The day after that was the 24th. Marie got up earlier than what she would wake up in a normal vacation's da, around 9 am, and let the Winchester brothers sleep a little more.

Marie took all she needed to the kicthen counter: she was going to bake all the baked goods in a typical portuguese Christmas: _filhós_, _sonhos_ (both of these a pastry made of frie dough), french toasts covered in cinnamon (like most Christmas treats). She was also going to make _aletria_, _arroz doce_ (sweet rice) and _bolo rei_ (king's cake). She would also make a chocolate cake, tons and tons of pie, a vanilla and blueberry cake with fondant covering it. The dinner would be cod fish with cabbage, carrots and potatos, plus the typical american Christmas meal. And _açorda_.

Once she started to break some eggs into a huge bowl, she was surprised by an angelical presence. His blue eyes where starring at her and he was earing his usual clothing.

"God damn it, Castiel. You scared me."

"My apologies."

She smiled and so did he.

"Why are you up this early?" Asked Castiel.

"Someone has to start cooking Christmas pastries. For example, some of the portuguese delicacees I'm making today take up to three hours."

"I see."

"Would you like to help me?" Marie asked, with the most dazzling smile.

"I can't cook. Angel's can't cook." He said, embarrassed.

"Well, I'll teach you Cas. Will you help?"

Castiel help her with the cooking. He was the one that mixed the dough with his hands, for the _filhós_ and the _sonhos_. They let that dough grew for almost two hours and then proceeded to make the King's cake.

Upstairs, Samuel Winchester was still sleeping, but was not resting. His mind was playing tricks and deceiving him, making him believe the dream he was having was actually going to happen. Marie had decided to join them in a hunting trip. She was wearing the most beautiful ring on her left hand, since it had been given to her, a few weeks before that night, she never took it off not for one second. It had been bought in an antique shop, and it's origin went back to the 1800's. It was made of silver, in a barroque style, and had a saphire instead of a big central diamond, along with tiny little diamonds encrusted in the refined and intricated silver. It was the perfect ring for her.

She had been attacked by the thing they were hunting, she was sitting on the floor, in a corner of the abandoned building, with her hands covering her wound and trying to stop the bleeding. Sam was next to her, he did not know what to do. Dean killed the monster, but the damages it had made were already too much, they were devastating.

Marie was trembling:

"Why is it so darning cold in here?" She asked, having trouble in speaking, and trying to draw a smile on her lips. The blood kept gushing out of her abdomen, slowly, but non-stopping. Her eyes were wet, she was trying not to cry, she was trying to be strong. The truth is, she was not actually in pain, not really, she just didn't want to leave Sammy so soon.

"Shhh… You'll be fine. We're going to take you to the hospital and you'll be fine." Sam said.

"No. You can't move me from here. You have a deslocated shoulder, Dean's arm is probably broken, and if you pick me up I'll bleed out. I can't be moved, Sammy."

While she was trying to stay strong, Samuel was crying like he hadn't cried in a long time. It was like Maddie all over again, expect it was a thousand times worst.

"Sweetie…" She said, her voice getting weaker and weaker by the second. "Don't cry. Everything is going to be just fine. You just… you gotta keep hunting. And you have to stay with your brother, you have to stay with your family."

"I'll bring you back."

"No you will not, Samuel Winchester! Don't you even dare selling your soul for me. I love you baby, but don't you do that. Don't be selfish enough to bring me back and make me live with the fact that you sold your soul for me. I'm the selfish one, not you." She laughed and a wave of pain filled her body, it hurt like hell.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who's dying, your not the one who should apologize, I'm the one leaving you. Just don't forget to watter my cactus." She smiled, and so did he. He kissed her and just held her hand. Dean sat down next to them. "Did you kill it?"

"Yes." Answered Dean. "I always do."

"Good." A few seconds later, blood came out of her mouth and, pretty soon after that, her heart just stopped.

Everything just went black and his own voice occupied his mind: "See, Sammy? I told you. You won't settle down with anyone. You will die young and if you don't, you'll just be a very troubled old man, Sammy. You hunt evil, Sam. And you are pure evil never forget that. You're a monster and you already knew a monster always takes the life of those you love. This time, that monster was you."


	14. Chapter 13 - Merry Christmas everybody!

**Chapter 13 – Merry Christmas everybody!**

Once again, Samuel Winchester woke up drenched in sweat and it did take long for him to question his sanity. Wearing nothing but a t-shirt and gym shorts, Samuel Winchester left the room and followed the smell of oranges. He found Marie laughing about what Castiel was telling her and him with the hugest smile in the world mixing the dough of something while Marie finished one of the four pies that were waiting for their turn to go to the oven.

"Hello, Sam." She said when she saw him in the kitchen's entrance, with the same smile she always greeted him with. Teeth showing, eyes sparkling, she always looked like a teenager in love when she saw him.

"Hi." He said, walking towards her, hugging her from behind and kissing her on the cheek. "You got the angel cooking."

"Yes I did." She replied. "Is something wrong?" She whispered.

"No, nothing's wrong, why?"

"You don't seem fully rested. Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah, but it's fine."

"Are you sure, baby? You can sleep in a little more, if you want to, in order to rest your mind a little."

"I'm sure."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, there's no need."

"Do you want me to toast you some bread and warm you a glass of milk, or make some coffee?"

"No, I got it, just keep cooking."

And so she did. At thirty minutes pass noon, Sam went out to buy some burgers or something, so Marie wouldn't have to worry about cooking lunch. When he got back, Marie ran upstairs and knocked on the guest's bedroom door.

"Dean, come on. Get up, it's almost 1pm, get up you lazy ass!"

"I'm going, I'm going." Dean got up, put on some pants, and joined them in the dining room table.

Sam ate the usual healthy salad, Dean a cheeseburger and Marie had a healthy salad shake, but with tons of sauce and some French fries as a side dish. Sam and she drank mango ice tea, but Dean drank a beer. Castiel ate nothing – angel's don't eat – and stayed in the kitchen advancing some of the cooking.

By three o'clock everything was ready but the actual dinner. All the pastries and cakes were on its proper table. And it was exactly by three o'clock that they heard two cars pulling over. Marie immediately outlined a smile that wasn't just visible on her lips but on her eyes as well. She ran to the door and, when she opened her, she found her brother holding the house keys, ready to unlock the door. His green eyes started glowing like an emerald when he found his little sister waiting for him by the door.

_It was January, 1997. The snow was falling outside and Kyle had gone with his dad on a hunting trip, he was still 15, he was still at the age when he wanted to grow up and be a hunter too and, for the first time, Balthazar let his son join him on a small hunting trip, following the tracks of an angry ghost, but not one of the worst kind. They were gone for three days and Kyle had just phoned home warning them they would be back that exact same day. _

_The darkness had taken over the skies, the night had arrived. Kyle got out of the car, his shoulder still hurting from the small beating he took, his dad did the same, wishing he had never taken his kid with him. Kyle ran up the porch stairs and, when he unlocked the door and opened it, he found his little sister, with 11 years old, sitting on the floor. She immediately got up, her eyes make of gold and her lips red as blood drew a smile that lit up her whole face. «Kyle!» she said, hugging him immediately, «I've been waiting here, the whole day, for you. I missed you, don't you ever leave again.»_

Kyle hugged his sister and it felt nice, especially after all he went through that year, being possessed by a demon for almost a week and being saved by two dudes he never heard off in his life until he was under the demon's control and was able to find out one of them was his sister's boyfriend.

"I missed you, Kyle." She said, almost crying. She only noticed how much she missed him when she actually saw him, right there in front of her, with his eyes glowing.

"I missed you too."

She let him in and behind Kyle came Rose and Balthazar, their parents. She hugged them both for she had not seen them in almost a year.

"Hello, my darling." said her dad when he found himself in his daughter's arms. "And who does that marvelous car belong to?"

She closed the door behind them and smiled, almost laughing.

"Well thank you; she's my joy and pride." Said Dean, as soon as he heard Balthazar compliment his baby. "I'm Dean."

Balthazar shook Dean's hand. That name was familiar.

"And you're damn right to be proud, she's a beauty." Dean smiled when he heard Balthazar's words: he liked that 50 year old man. "And who are you too?" He asked, looking and walking towards Sam and Castiel that got up the couch as soon as he came in: Sam did it as a teenager boy that is about to meet his pseudo father-in-law and wasn't supposed to be in that house at that time, Castiel did it because Sam did it, in a more calm way, as if it was just polite not to be the only one sitting when Balthazar came in.

"I'm Castiel." Said the angel. "How do you do?"

"I'm doing just fine, boy, thank you. And you?"

"I'm good. Thank you."

He then turned his eyes to Samuel Winchester. "And you are?"

"I'm Sam. It's nice to meet you, Sir."

"Oh, is it? And why is that?"

Sam looked at Marie, having no idea what to say.

"I'm just joking, boy." He said. "This is my wife, Rose, and my son, Kyle. Welcome to our shack."

"It's pretty far from a shack, sir. You have a very nice home. Shack was what the roman people slept in." Said Castiel.

Everyone looked at him and Cas was the only one who did not realize how weird was what he had just said.

"Honey, haven't we heard those names before? Sam and Dean. They are not totally unfamiliar. What is your last name, my darlings?" Said Rose, in a motherly tone in her words.

Sam and Dean traded a look and Marie swallowed pure air and nothing else, when she heard her mother's question. _Please God, may my parents not remember that name right now._

"Winchester." Said the brothers, at the same time.

The Lazarus parents stopped immediately what they were doing and looked at each other and then looked at the brothers:

"Winchester? As in the two nitwits that started the Apocalypse?" Asked Balthazar, in a very angry tone.

"Yes sir."

"How nice." Said Rose. And she actually wasn't being sarcastic. "Two hunters joining us for Christmas. I bet there won't be a dull moment. Welcome boys." She smiled, a smile almost as beautiful as her daughter's.

"Welcome?! Those two idiots started the Apocalypse, Rose!"

"Let bygones be bygones, honey. Haven't you learn already not to hold grudge against people?"

Balthazar rolled his eyes, but… well… his wife was right.

"Alright then." He said, after a few seconds of pondering on his wife's words. He grabbed his bag that he took to the hunting trip, while his son, tired of listening to his father's questions to the guests, took his luggage to his room. Right before climbing he first step of the stairs, Balthazar stopped. "Just one more question, boys."

"Yes sir?"

"You two boys are hunters; and your friend Castiel?"

"I'm an angel of the lord."

Balthazar stayed in silence for a few seconds, maybe three or four, and then started to climb up the stairs and left Marie and her friends a simple sentence:

"This ought to be a fun Christmas."

Balthazar and Rose went upstairs to unpack and Dean looked at Marie.

"They seem like a nice bunch."

Marie smiled.

"So, my brother is Kyle Alastor, call him Kyle or Al. My mother is Rose and my dad…" She smiled, she thought her father's name was something… peculiar. "Let's just keep it at Balthazar."

"Why? What's his full name?" Asked Dean. Sam smiled: he already knew the answer.

"Balthazar Baal Zebul."

"Baal Zebul? As in Beelzebul?" Asked Dean, his eyes wide open and his words soaked in surprise.

"He's from Greece, Dean. Balthazar Baal Zebul Lazarus is a pretty normal name. I mean, not too normal, but…"

"So, you are name after the hunting goddess, your father after he king of flies and your brother is what?" Dean asked.

"Baal Zebul means lord or possessor of the high place, it has nothing to do with any demon." Said Samuel Winchester.

"My brother's name is Alastor; meaning avenging spirit. There's a spirit with that name, actually: the daemon spirit of family blood feuds and the afflicter of vengeance upon children for their fathers' crimes."

"I see you're the family's favorite." He said.

"Just shut up, boy." Responded Marie, laughing at what he had just said.

The cabbage, cod fish, carrots and potatoes were cooking, as the turkey and all its side dishes. The _açorda_ was already ready. Dean showed up in the kitchen looking for the eggnog Marie asked him to take to the dining room.

"What's that delicious smell?" Inquired Dean, appearing next to her.

"It's açorda: cod fish, bread, spring greens and coriander. Do you want to try a bit before I take it to the table?"

"I'm not such a fan of fish, but yeah, why not?"

Marie took a little bit and Dean looked at it and pulled a face: it looked like a mush of a bunch of unknown things.

"I know it looks terrible, but just try it." She said, putting the spoon in front of him, just ¼ of an inch away from his lips. He opened his mouth and ate the peace she gave him to try. He chewed, although it was not needed because it had the consistence of baby food, releasing all the flavors that spoon contained: it was marvelous and his face expressed that. "I know right? It's delicious."

"I'm so going to eat a bowl of that for dinner." He responded, leaving the kitchen and taking the eggnog to the dining room.

She turned off the oven and the stove. Her mother walked in.

"Sammy, could you come here, please?" She called.

Sam excused himself from the living room, abandoning the conversation Castiel was having with the two Lazarus men; he walked in to the kitchen and smiled:

"What can I help you with, Miss Colt?" He asked, pretending to be super cordial around her, but no one else was in the kitchen besides them.

"Well, first: it's seven o'clock, dinner time; I need you to help me take the turkey and all to the table. Secondly, it's 7. I haven't seen you properly in 4 hours."

"I'm sorry." He hugged her by the waist and just stared at her for a little while and then kissed her gently.

"You'll have to do much more than that later."

"I bet." He smiled.

They took all the food to the table and everyone took their places. Dinner had as side dish a very nice conversation about hunting and about Marie's and Kyle's life during that year, but Marie's new boyfriend's name was left out. After the Christmas meal, Rose and her daughter took the dirty dishes to the kitchen, put them in the washing machine and joined the men in the living room. The tv was on, but four of the five men were not paying attention to the movie that was on the screen. While the hunters and the angel traded words about their adventures and Balthazar told the Winchester's about the only time he met John Winchester, Kyle Lazarus was sitting down, looking at the tv, watching the Smurfs Christmas movie, sipping a cup of eggnog.

Rose and Marie joined them, the youngest holding a cup of butter beer as the oldest was drinking some eggnog, like everyone else. And Marie, wearing her striped red and white long socks and a large and very long musk green knitted dress, sat down on the couch, next to Sam, and pulled her legs up, getting all comfortable and cozy in her little corner, next to her love. She wanted to lean her head on her shoulder, but did not want to make him uncomfortable and putting him in the possible situation of having to explain the situation to the older Lazarus family members. Therefore, the little tiny space between them both was used to hide their holding hands from everyone else's curious eyes. They would stay like take for hours, except for a couple of breaks, when he or she would get up to get a pastry or a desert to eat, or some more eggnog.

By the time the clock reached midnight, Marie smiled. In the Lazarus house, every single Christmas, although with some (but little) American tradition, fell under the Portuguese tradition. You had all these pastries covered in cinnamon and sugar, cod fish for dinner, never meat; the Christmas tree was always an artificial one (in order to save the planet, because one fake tree could last years and years) and it was decorated on the first day of December; and the presents were always opened at midnight when the 24th day of December was replaced by the 25th.

Rose looked at her watch, but she did not need to: by the smile on her daughter's face, she knew it was already midnight. Samuel was no longer holding Marie's hand, but had his hand on her leg, almost on top her ankle.

"Oh, look at that: it's one minute past midnight; time to open our gifts."

Marie knew her mum had spent the whole afternoon knitting three Christmas theme shirts, but they were not done yet.

"I have not finished your gifts, boys, because I only met you today. But" She said, as she walked to the Christmas tree and picked up three gifts. "They will be ready tomorrow before lunch, I can promise you that." She was a machine, an ace at making knitted sweaters.

Marie ran to the Christmas tree and picked up the gifts she had to offer. A new knife for her dad (made of silver and with a handle so beautiful that seemed like it was made by God, a necklace to her mother, a **Le Paul guitar** for Kyle, a new tie (Christmas themed) for Castiel, a cassette of one of Dean's favorite band, very rare, that he did not own yet so he could listen to it in the Impala, and a book for Sam, written in the early 1000s, about monsters: some well-known in the current days, others not so much, because they were extinct and also to Sam a very beautiful watch. She had no idea if they would like it, but well…

When the gifts were opened, everyone seemed to enjoin them a lot. Kyle gave to Marie the first edition of "A Serra e as Cidades" by Eça de Queiroz; her parents gave her a poncho: she liked ponchos a lot, since she was a little kid; Dean and Cas and Sam bought a gift to everyone in the house: a scotch aged 70 years, it was said to be one of the most wonderful scotches in the world. All the other gifts were open, and then, at the end, Sam followed Marie to the desert table.

She grabbed a bowl of _aletria_ and put a spoon full of it in her mouth and then looked at Sam:

"Yes, may I help you darling?"

"Did you think I came here and offered only a bottle of scotch?"

"It's a damn good bottle of Scotch; I might drink it all by myself when they are not looking." She smiled.

Sam gave her a little red box that had a pretty bow around it.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Open it."

And so she did. Inside the little box was a bracelet, made of silver, with all the protection charms you could ever imagine and all the little medals with catholic angels on them. It was so beautiful, antique looking. She covered her mouth with her hand, in amazement, caught by surprise with such present.

"Do you like it?" Asked Sam, while she just stood there, moving her eyes between Sam and the bracelet, still quite unsure on what to say. She moved her head in agreement, with a smile that showed itself only through her golden eyes. "Marie, are you okay?"

She woke up from her little trance and, with a very lost look on her face, a very shocked expression, as if she was a deer on headlights, she said "Yes, I'm fine, Sam". Marie quickly kissed him, in order not to let anyone see it – although they were away from everyone else's sight, she could not risk them being caught, Sam might not want to be introduced to her family as her boyfriend.

"Thank you, baby, it's… beautiful." Sam took the bracelet out of the box and Marie extended her arm to him; Sam put the bracelet on her wrist, smiled and then gave her a kiss on the lips, quickly and softly. And as that happened, Kyle caught them. She looked at him, very nervous, as if she was a teenager kissing a boy behind some bushes so no one would see them.

"Oh, don't mind me; I'm just here to grab some more pie." Marie glanced a confuse look at him. "What?" He asked "You think I didn't already know?" And leaving them with those whispered words, Kyle went back to the living room and joined the rest of the people.

Marie rolled her eyes and then hugged Sam. She felt the smell of him hair, it smelled like some fresh shampoo made of a many herbs; the touch of his skin against hers; her lips kissing a very small scar Sam had on his neck since God knows when; she felt his arms around her, trying to ease her from some of the effort necessary to stand in the point of your toes.

"I so want to go to sleep right now."

"I'm sure. You must be exhausted; you've been up forever cooking dinner and all of this." He said, kissing the top of her head.

Marie smiled, and Sam felt the contraction of her facial muscles against his chest, the quick breeze that her giggle created and that tickled his skin even though he was wearing a shirt. "It's not because of that." She said grabbing his hand and just moving very slowly, from side to side, both of them, as if they were dancing to the sound of a song only they could hear, something smooth and calm, like the chant of the wind between leaves and the sound of a wave crashing into a cliff.

"Then, what is it?"

"What do you think? Only when we go to sleep can we have a little time of ourselves. I'm tired of being all strict and not touching you and sitting in my little corner."

"Look at that: you miss me. I'm right here and you miss me." He joked.

"Those are the consequences of dating a hunter. The distance will create brain damages that cause constant absence of total satisfaction." She replied, in the same coin. "Come on; let's get back to the room." She kissed him one last time and her words expressed exactly what they did next.

She sat on the table and found Castiel already wearing the funny time she gave him. It wasn't an actual present, it was just a souvenir; a green tie with reindeers on it.

"Don't you look so sharp?" She said, playing, and all Castiel did was smile: he actually liked his new tie. Marie sat on the couch and her mother looked at her.

"Oh goodness, such a beautiful bracelet you are wearing; who gave it to you?"

Marie suddenly wish she wasn't wearing it: now what?

"No one."

" 'No one' doesn't hand out gifts on Christmas eve." Answered her father, with his eyes set on the TV. Kyle tried his best not to laugh.

"Was it Matthew, my darling?"

Marie stared at her mother for a little while and Sam stared at Marie with a very surprised face: why would they think Matthew gave it to her?

"No mother, it was not Matthew."

"That's too bad. I was hoping you finally changed your mind and settled down with that fine doctor." Her mother said.

"Oh for God sake!" Shouted Marie, bumping her head into a pillow next to her.

"You dated Matthew?" Asked Sam.

"Yeah, for a couple of months. No big deal. My mother just fancies him."

"Now I'm curious. Who gave you the bracelet Marie?" Asked Kyle, just trying to be a pain in their asses.

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Dear lord." He whispered, and then said: "Sam gave it to her! Are you all really so blind?"

"Thank you." Said Kyle.

"Why are you thanking him?" Asked Balthazar.

"Because I've known it all along, since those two exorcised me. Demons know stuff, man, it's… freaky."

"You were possessed?!" Yelled his father and his sister, at the same time.

"Yeah, but it's cool now, I tattooed the protection symbol on my neck."

"You got yourself a tattoo?!" Yelled his mother, awfully angry.

Balthazar drank a glass full of eggnog in just one sip:

"Oh God. My son was possessed and my daughter is dating a Winchester." He whispered. "You know he started the Apocalypse, right?" He asked Marie.

"Off course I know."

"And you know his Lucifer's vessel right?"

"Did you also know he stopped Satan before the earth was doomed for good?" Inquired Marie.

"You know earth was doomed for good from the first moment it was created, right?" Said Balthazar.

Marie rolled her eyes.

"Alright then; better than getting tattooed." Said Rose looking to Kyle as if he was a little kid and was about to be grounded. "How long have you been dating them?"

"Two months." Said Marie and Sam at the same time, while she was distracted with her bracelet, watching every little detail of her new bracelet as Sam smiled just by glancing at his girlfriend.

"How did you two meet?"

And the conversation went on for a little while. By the time the clock indicated 30 minutes passed 1 am, people started to leave to their rooms. First went Balthazar and Rose; then Kyle, then Dean and finally Sam. Marie looked at Castiel sitting in the couch with the TV on – he would spend all night there, watching all the shows that caught his attention – and smiled:

"Merry Christmas, Cas, see you tomorrow."

She climbed up the stairs and as she caught up with Samuel, Marie jumped on his back, getting a ride to the room. He smiled when she did that and immediately grabbed her legs so she wouldn't fall back.

"My goodness! How much do you weight? 300 pounds?!"

"Ahah, very funny." She slapped him, slowly, in his cheek. "I'm 101."

"I had more weight than that when I was 14." He made fun of.

He opened the door and they both entered the room. Marie jumped out of his back and smiled. Sam grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him and quickly tried to kiss her lips, but, as she was laughing, she turned her head away and he kissed her neck.

"Baby, let me just go change."

"I can help you with that." He said.

"Seriously, I'll be right back."

She ran into the bathroom and closed the door. Hidden in a drawer was a gift she bought to herself: a little lingerie dress, made of a transparent and soft fabric, in purple, as well as a purple and black lace lingerie. Sam was sitting on the bed, wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt. He was holding his new book. He read all words, turned the pages slowly, for the paper was old, with a huge smile on his face. He then heard the bathroom door opening and was surprise by Marie, leaning against the door. When he looked up, he found her wearing a very short night dress and looking just amazing and sexy, with her long never ending legs naked, smooth and skinny. Her long red curls and her eyes made of pure gold. His lips drew a smile on his face, uncovering his perfect teeth.

"I know, that present sucks." She said, looking at the book he was holding.

"No it doesn't." Said the youngest Winchester. "It's awesome."

"I had no idea of what to get for you. I gave you a crappy book that probably has typhoid fever on its pages and you gave me a silver bracelet." She walked towards him and then sat by his side.

"I don't want gifts, I don't need them. Having the chance to spend some days with you and not thinking about hunting or monsters… that's what I really want, what I need."

She hugged him and made him lay down, as she stared into his eyes, their faces only inches away. Her fiery red curls fell around his head, creating a curtain of beauty between him and the rest of the world, a curtain that kept them separated from everything else. Her right hand rested on his face, her thumb stroking his cheek, slowly and gently, causing it to go numb with the warm of her skin. Without her glasses, her eyes were much prettier; they were sincere, filled with light and were a gate to her soul, a portal to discover her intentions. Her lips weren't fully closed and he could feel her warm breath that smelled like strawberries, from her toothpaste. Her skin emanated heat and the perfume of all berries that existed in that world. Samuel smiled; he could not contain it, but only with his eyes: she looked so damn dazzling without any make up, and with her eyes sparkling.

"I must have done something right in a previous life to deserve you."

"That was so gay."

He laughed and she smiled, kissing his cheek. She loved to hear him laughing like that. She kissed his lips very gently and then smiled again.

"Merry Christmas, baby."


	15. Chapter 14 - how Destiny fell into

**Chapter 14 – And that's how Destiny fell into Fortune's hands**

The moon had just taken over the skies, when she left her dorm room at College for a night out with her best friend. He was waiting for her, leaning against the wall, on the outside of the building, with his punk look and a young face. She was wearing a tulle and puffy mini skirt, in a light shade of grey, as well as an eggplant tone of purple leather jacket, tight and form fitting. Her yellow pump shoes marked her steps on the marble floor and, after she left the building, her shoe marked her steps on the concrete floor. She didn't even notice her friend waiting there for her.

"Seriously Marie, am I that invisible?" He joked.

"Well, you are dressed mostly in black. It's dark so…" She said, as she turned around with a smile.

"Maybe I should dress like you with all those colors, huh?"

"Maybe, Billy, maybe you should."

"Funny. So, is your boyfriend meeting us at the bar?"

"Who? Caleb?"

"Do you have more than one?"

"No. I'm just not used to that term when referring to Caleb."

"Neither am I. I'm more used to the term "idiot"."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed Billy by the arm:

"Don't be mean, Billy." She said, in her adorable and sweet voice. "And yes, he's meeting us at the bar."

He exhaled, incredibly deeply, as someone who is disappointed or upset, or at least not very happy:

"How unfortunate."

Marie decided to ignore him and walk silently to the bar that wasn't that far away. Billy walked with her. They did that every Thursday: they went to the local bar, played some pool, Billy drank a beer and Marie drank a glass of black vodka with lime and ice.

As they were playing, Marie was surprised with a kiss on her neck, from someone behind her. She turned around and smiled: it was Caleb who kissed her, with gorgeous grey, almost silver, eyes and the most beautiful dark hair. He was, indeed, very handsome.

"Hi." She said, showing him a smile.

"How was your day?"

"Normal and yours?" She asked, continuing the game.

"Pretty normal too. I'm going to go get a drink. I'll be right back."

As Caleb walked towards the bar's counter, in order to get a drink, probably a beer (men with 23 years old always prefer beer instead of any other drink), two new costumers entered the establishment. One was taller than the other, and they came in together. The tall one had brown hair and seemed to be a very muscled man, couldn't be more than 25/26 and had the most incredible face: he was gorgeous, he was the most beautiful man in that bar. The other had gorgeous eyes and an almost blond hair; he had the expression of a ladies man, but one with a heart. If there was a contest for elect the most attractive men in that establishment, he would be the runner-up.

Marie did not spend more than a minute looking at them: her attention was required by Billy. If she knew who they were, if she knew what would happen in 4 years from then, she would have taken a long look; she would have looked long enough to memorize each trace their faces were made of, maybe she would have even present herself to them. But, if she had done that, things wouldn't be the same would they?

Marie left the oldest one of them with one look only and the youngest with two glances. He was very handsome, that was the last thing she thought about before turning all her attention towards the game she was playing with her best friend.

He didn't even notice her, not really. He only saw a girl, with her back turned on both him and his brother, playing pool and wearing a very peculiar outfit. If only he knew.

When Marie was born, the three sisters started to create her story, generating a beautiful piece of tapestry, using all kinds of threads in so many different colors, making it her Destiny to marry her best friend. Unfortunately for them, they made Marie's path cross with the Winchesters' for the first time at that bar and, from that moment forward, every point, stitch and every little drawing they tried to make crumbled a few minutes later while the three sisters turned their attention to a new life waiting to be designed. They spent ever so long trying to figure out what it was on that bar that did not let Marie's story be fully painted. But when they realized the most recent stitches that stayed the same, after the freshly new ones crumbled, were the ones when Marie looked at Sam, they knew what had be done. The orders came late, but they came from a higher power. That had to happen, it did not matter that the Winchesters were born to die in a fight: they would know both die for love, and one brother's fortune was sealed forever, as the three Fates finished a simple, but ever so complex, girl's life.

Marie woke up lying in her bed, in Egyptian cotton sheets; the sun was probably still a few hours away from shinning upon that piece of the Earth when she woke up from her dream about a hunting trip. Spring had just kicked off, it was March 28th and next to Marie was a barely dressed man. Besides the sheets, his body was covered by tight navy blue boxers and nothing else. Samuel was still sleeping, sleeping on his stomach and his arms hugging his pillow; his head on its side: as soon as he opened his eyes he would find Marie. She was wearing a silk and short night gown, with white lace details contrasting with the floral vintage pattern that the silky was colored by.

She carefully sat on the mattress, trying not to wake Samuel Winchester, but she knew it was no good: he would wake up anyway. Her hair fell down her back, a little bit messy and puffy, like a dark flame of fire, reddish and beautiful. She quickly ran to the bathroom and washed her face in order to cool herself: it was terribly hot for a typical Spring night. Samuel Winchester was only half a sleep as Marie lay next to him, looking at his skin, golden by nature. He turned his body to his left, facing her, and slowly opened his hazel eyes. He smiled as a teenage boy, he smile has if that was the first night they slept next to each other, or as if he was surprise by her presence, after spending a whole night wondering if she was only a dream. Anyway who ever saw the look on his face that time, or any morning look when he slept with her, would be surprised and would not believe that one year, going on two, had passed since they first met each other, in the city of Owl Falls.

Marie Artemis was now living in a Queen Anne style Victorian house that always belonged to her family, on the Old West End, Toledo, Ohio. She actually liked living there. Recently, Billy moved out (after moving to Ohio with her) and went to live with his new girlfriend, on the girl's apartment. Marie stayed alone most of the time, but Sam did his best to take at least 5 days a month to be with her. When he and his brother had no cases, they stayed at her house, if they were close by (maximum of 3 states away). When she moved, she found it a little hard to get used to the new hospital: she knew no one and, most times, had no one waiting for her back at the house, no one to listen about how her day went; but quickly adjusted by making new friends - if by quickly you understand a few good weeks and many nights alone, eating ice cream. It was the year 2014 and Samuel was close to turning 31 while Marie was still nine months away from turning 29 and they were madly in love with each other, as they were since that first morning they met each other.

Sam smiled and his eyes found Marie by his side, lying on her stomach, and her legs in the air, moving "up" and "down" as if she was a teenager on the couch talking on the telephone with her best friend about boys. She was holding her head with her left hand, making her left arm support a great amount of weight in the position she was in.

"Hello there." He said, in a hoarse voice for his vocal chords seemed to be still half asleep.

"Hello, my dearest chap." She answered, pretending to have a manly voice, imitating the accent of a British gentleman.

"You seriously have to stop watching those DVDs of Downton Abbey."

"I shall never do such thing. I will continue to watch that series until I get over the fact Matthew Crawley dies, which will never ever happen, Sam. Never. You mark my words."

"If you don't stop watching Downton Abbey I will stop having sex with you." He bantered.

Marie looked at him very seriously, as she was actually pondering his threat. "Then I guess you will live on celibacy" she answered him, pretending to truly believe what he said.

"Oh, is that right?" Asked Samuel, climbing on top of her, with a naughty face.

By the time the sun decided to make its glory shine all over that town, Marie was sleeping again, ever so soundly, as Samuel Winchester made it his job to watch over her, just in case the windows and doors were not salted properly; besides… he didn't really want to go to sleep.

He liked it so much when she was asleep, she seemed so… calm. Samuel never really stopped thinking about how much her life was screwed up with him in it. She spent 1/6 of each month, at least, worrying about him: what is he hunting? Who's he with? Is he with his brother, with Castiel? How is he? Is he ok? Sometimes it was hard to call her and talk a little bit. He either didn't have time or she was either working or he only had bad news and didn't want to worry her. Damn it… The worst question anyone could ever think about lingered on her mind every single week, if not every single day: Is he even alive?

At least she had those moments, those calm moments, when her brain fell into a deep sleep and did not bother her with questions nor did it fight with her heart, that little muscle that made her always think the best, always hope for the best, but was so torture with rationality, fear and questions. Oh my goodness, so many questions.

At least she had those moments, when her brain decided to just shut down, or at least erase the dreams he created as soon as she got out of bed, making her think she had a terribly calm night. At least she had a few hours to rest her mind as on the contrary Samuel Winchester had nightmares almost every night, either about something bad happening to his woman or about hell. Still… He'd actually rather go back to hell than letting her get hurt.

I know what you are thinking: he's the one that's most likely to hurt her. He had thought about that and he had decided, a few times, but reluctantly, to leave; but, as you probably already know, Marie is a woman that strongly believes that Sam is one of the most well-intended people on Earth and, sometimes, he's also one of the most stupid people she had ever met.

«Do you actually think I'm gonna let you leave like this?» She had asked, calmly. Sam explained her again as if she didn't understand him the first time. «I understand what you are saying, I'm not stupid. But you are, apparently. I am going to repeat: do you think I'm going to let you leave because of that? If you don't like me anymore, fine: pick up your bags from the floor, get into your brother's Impala and leave. But don't you even try to leave saying you don't want to hurt me. Do you think that low of me? That I'm not strong enough to defend myself from 10 ft of muscle and good looks? Do you actually think that I can't see who's evil or not? Honey, you might have been in hell, but you are no monster. You have never been. I know that. Your brother knows that, it doesn't matter what he might have told you in the past. I don't care how many monsters you sent to purgatory, how many did you kill. I don't care you many bad things you've done. It doesn't matter how many people you've killed or how many things are out there wanting revenge. I don't care about the baggage you bring. I'll never ask you to leave that same baggage outside, when you enter this house. I never asked you that, I don't want that. All I ever asked is for you to let me carry it with you, to let me carry the weight that becomes a burden on your shoulders every single freaking day, Sam. And I only ask you to never let that baggage of yours, those phantoms of yours, kick you out of this house, out of my life. Never. Those are only two things. I promise you, if it makes you feel better. I will kick you out as soon as you turn evil, but you won't so don't hold your breath.» How could he possibly have an argument against that? What he did have, was a request. He said that if he ever became something so evil as in his dreams, she was to take his breath from him she was to kill him however she could, however it was possible to.

Yes, she promised him that; no, she didn't really mean it. And he knew that. As Samuel looked at his love and remembered all the things they had been through, all the nearly dead experiences, how many scars that job drew on them and how many of them Marie suffered trying to stop whatever they were hunting from getting to Sam… He knew it. If he ever tried to hurt her… Let's say, if he went back to being the soulless bastard he once was, she'd just let him kill everyone in that town and she'd fall asleep again on that bed and not close her eyes afraid from what he might do to her. She'd even let him kill her, no matter the reason, but she'd never kill him. There was no way she was ever going to kill him. He knew it, and it made him mad at her stubbornness.

Samuel moved her hair away from her face and slid the tip of his right indicator along her nose, and then kissed it causing Marie to smile while she was sleeping. She always did that: it was as if her body had been created to react in perfect harmony with Sam's, and her mind too. It was if she could feel the warmth of his skin or the fresh sense released by his hair, feel it and know it, being aware of it. When he moved, she moved, and the same happened the other way around. Dean found that to be weird: the perfect harmony, most people don't get to see that their whole lives. Castiel always smiled when he saw them moving in complete balance, making their biggest effort to make the other one happy (although they never needed to try that hard) or to make sure the other was always safe. He never said anything, and he never would, but they were, indeed, made for each other without even their Creator realizing it.

Remember how there are stories about ancient Greek mythology, where men were originally creatures with two heads, eight limbs and only one heart? Zeus separated them at equal sizes, frightened by their possible power, condemning them to spend a dreadful eternity trying to find their missing half. That wasn't true, obviously, God created people with one head, four limbs and one heart; but if anyone was looking for proofs to support that abysmal myth, Samuel and Marie were the most credible example.

Castiel found that to be the most honest testimony that Destiny did, in fact, exist, but it was not how everyone thought it was. The Winchester boys were born to fight for their beliefs and die young or become two grumpy and troubled old men. I must warn you before I continue that this will probably freak out and disturb those of you who don't believe in perfection, who don't believe there is, indeed, the absence of flaws. What I am about to say will make you spend an awful amount of time thinking about my words.

People are not perfect. The journey they make through their lives isn't either. But there is such thing as the perfect place to be, the perfect person to be with: the Perfect destination to one's path.

The Winchester boys were born to fight for their beliefs and die young or become two grumpy and troubled old men. But the truth is even Destiny itself has its own Fortune and its Fate is to change until everyone is exactly where they deserve to be. That is something that happens by accident, sometimes the three Fates just know, sometimes they are wrong, sometimes we make decisions that are unexpected (no one knows why nor how) and that changes things…

The truth is even Destiny itself has its own Fortune and that's to change until everyone is exactly where they deserve to be. Destiny will change itself, with the course of time, most of times, until perfection itself is achieved.


	16. Chapter 15 - Port Angeles

this is one crappy chapter. TThe next one will be better. Sorry.

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Port Angeles**

His body was being attacked by flames, his flesh burned and decomposed at the same time, as if time passed by faster than flames as if he had been stuck in that hole for ages and the fire never stopped burning. Was it all in his head or was it like Lucifer said once: he never left the cage and never would? Sometimes, that idea still haunted him, but why would Satan give him such a good fake life? It was not real; he was not on the cage: he was out and was just dreaming. He figured that out for the 100th time when he woke up in bed, all covered in sweat, with the window opened behind him and the summer breeze entering through it, refreshing his burning hot body.

Next to him was nobody: she wasn't there. Marie was working at the hospital that night and he did not like it one bit. He understood she liked her job and she had to do it, but that week he just had a feeling something bad was going to happen. He picked up the phone next to him and checked for any text messages or missed calls: there were none. Samuel then got out of bed and walked to the book shelves, where a diary waited for him. He had been reading that little journal for the last couple of months every single day or night Marie had to work. It was her grandfather's diary; he started writing it since he was only 13 years old – at only that age that man was a better hunter than most of the existing ones. Joseph Sammael Colt was named after the fifth archangel of the World of Briah. In some other traditions, Sammael was also named Lucifer; in the Jewish lore, Sammael is the angel of death, and this creature is just as related to good as it is too evil in all versions of its character.

September 15th, 1944

Phoenix, Arizona.

We have been on this hunting trip for more than two weeks and we haven't been home for much more than that. I am ever so tired of this life. I do not mean to be misunderstood: I adore being a hunter, we kill monsters and save people, and I will raise my own kids into this life style, and I sure do hope my grandchildren grow to be fabulous hunters to, but sometimes I wish I was capable of ignoring the problems around me just to be with my family. I wish my father did the same. We haven't seen mama in ever so long, more than a month – that I am sure of!

I am so sure we are not going to solve this case anytime soon. People just keep dying and we cannot find any connection between them, nor can we find any clues besides the presence of their lips being black and their insides completely turned to slush. We have looked on every book we could find nearby and all the ones we brought with us. There is no one to ask for information and there are no eye witnesses. I have never felt so useless and so powerless in my life. Even if we can eventually find out what is doing this, how will we find out how to kill it? A creature that is known by none is probably killed by nothing either. I mean, anything can be killed, the problem is figuring out with what.

Samuel saved the journal back on its place as he heard a noise down stairs. The clock said 4 a.m. and Sam saw in that a reason to hide behind the door. Right next to him was Marie's favorite gun, her grandfather's pistol, inside the jacket that always hang on the door, always ready to be used in case of a break in. Sam once asked her if a normal gun with normal bullets in it would actually do anything against a demon or vampire. "Of course not." She said. "For that the house is practically bullet proof. This is in case of some dumb ass human tries to get in her. Never shoot to kill: aim for the knees; that way you can ask questions and they'll never walk again." Her smile was way too innocent to follow a sentence like that, but still… Sam found it adorable. If someone ever broke into the house when Marie was there, Samuel would for sure shoot to kill, because no one came close to the people he loved with any evil thoughts and got away with it.

Sam heard the steps on the stairs with difficulty: someone was walking very carefully. The door was opened and Samuel quickly covered the person's mouth and grabbed them by the waist, immobilizing the arms. A squeal was heard.

"Now what?" He whispered onto the person's ear, with a rough and almost mean voice, as if he was holding a murderer and was about to break their neck.

The girl silently and carefully, but immensely quick, took her knife from under her skirt and pulled it against the man's leg, not to cut anything, but close enough to the skin to hurt a little, to make a point. "I will cut your femur artery with just a simple blow. Now let go of me."

"Where the hell did you keep that?" Asked Samuel, as he released his girlfriend and she threw the knife onto the bed.

"I have my secrets." Said Marie, with a daring look. "Wanna find out?"

"You're wearing that thing I gave you last Christmas, aren't you?"

"You bet it. Now, unzip my dress so I can go take a shower."

It was the year 2015 and Samuel Winchester had never been happier. His brother was doing what he loved, hunting, with his closest friend, a freaking angel, and had the opportunity to rest at Marie's house and have a normal couple of days every time he decided to. Sam had a girlfriend who he loved most dearly and had a real glimpse of a normal (but never boring) suburbs life. They were together since 2013 and although there was no ring on her finger, Samuel sometimes thought about that. Maybe if he wasn't so screwed up he'd have the balls to do it. Maybe he just didn't want to scare her or maybe he really didn't want her to be stuck to a guy that can die at any given day. But on the other side, she was already stuck to him. Samuel Winchester was just afraid, that's it: he was a 7ft scared moose.

"Oh, honey", remembered Marie, awakening Sam from his thoughts. "Did you pack up already?" As her eyes met his, Marie knew he didn't. "Sammy, we have my high school 10 year reunion. You were the one who convinced me to go!" She took her shoes off and left them scattered around the room.

"I know, I'm sorry, I forgot. Go take your shower I'll have my bag packed in 10 minutes. Then we'll get a couple hours of sleep and we'll leave."

She laughed from the bathroom and threw her bra to the bedroom floor. "Yeah, sleep, like you believe in that", she spoke, right before closing the bathroom door and heading for her shower.

Samuel smiled for it was clear he couldn't have a better girlfriend. He opened the travelling bag that was next to the bathroom door, opened it and packed up a couple of things in the half-made bag, next to Marie's things: two pairs of jeans, five shirts, a suit and a shirt, as well as Marie's favorite tie, socks and underwear. He heard the water falling in the shower and walked in the bathroom. He saw her behind the glass door, rinsing the shampoo off of her head, her beautiful naked figure under the warm water.

"Marie, honey, have you packed everything already?"

"I did it this morning, before I left for work; I just have to add a dress for the actual reunion. Do me a favor, choose one and add it to the rest of the stuff. I'll be out in five."

Sam chose the white dress with the opened back shaped like a heart, short and made out of the most amazing and good-quality cotton, that had a formal look to it, without losing that idea of relaxation and comfort. As he put it into the bag, Marie finished her bath and blow dried her hair, letting it naturally curl and gain volume. Wrapped around her towel, she walked back to the bedroom and put on her pajama that consisted on one of Samuel's V-neck t-shirts and tiny little gym shorts.

"How was your day, then, moose?" Asked Marie, moving her head to the comfort of his chest.

"Boring, and yours?"

"Sad."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, that's alright, I ratter just… pretend it did not happen." And as she said that, Samuel Winchester kissed her on the top of her head and put her arms around her.

"Do you want to just go to sleep?"

"I don't want to, but I really need to, I think we both do. You look tired. What were you doing up, couldn't sleep again?" She wanted to know while her voice gave out how exhaust she was.

"Don't worry about it."

"Did you have another nightmare? I don't understand; why are you having those again?"

"I don't know, maybe this job finally caught up to me. I'm probably just losing my head, at last." He said that like it was a joke and Marie did not like it one bit – he felt that in the way she changed her position and her body just became tense.

"Don't say that, Samuel Winchester. That is so not funny."

"You know it could happen, right?; that it will happen eventually?"

"It won't."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I won't let it. I'll do whatever it takes, but I won't let that happen. I need my Sammy with me." Those were her last words, before she fell asleep with her head resting on Samuel's chest. She seemed so determined, although she was exhausted of a working day.

"I love you." Whispered Sam, when she was barely in his world, practically asleep. She smiled, or at least sent that message to her facial muscles, and fell into a deep but very short sleep.

Her curly hair was tied up so it wouldn't cover Sam's vision. He stood behind her, making stupid but funny faces at the person Marie was holding. The 6 month year old baby looked at his father and made sounds that were have laugher half yelling – you know, basically the typical excited baby laugher.

They were all in the living room, in front of the fireplace. Marie sat at a rocking chair and Samuel stood behind it, behind her. He was ever so happy; and although they were both always physically tired, everything seemed so perfect. Little Jeremiah John Lazarus-Winchester had his eyes focused on his father and a big smile on his face, a gorgeous and contagious toothless smile.

"Honey, honey" Samuel started hearing, from far away, as someone called him from another world. He opened his eyes in front of Marie; in her bedroom that she called "their bedroom" and that he felt like if it was their bedroom, in their house, although the house was not legally his also. She was wearing her pajama, looking at him with most caring eyes and the sweetest and most overwhelmed smile, as if she saw something that made her the happiest woman on earth.

"God, that's a nice vision to wake up to." He mumbled as he focused his vision on her.

"I'm sorry to wake you up from your awesome dream, but we need to get going, my love."

"How did you know I was having a good dream?"

"Every time I see you making this dumb smile while sleeping you always tell me you had a really good night of sleep, from which I suppose that includes a nice dream. What were you dreaming about?"

"Nothing."

"Samuel…"

"No. You will freak out. Therefor I'm not telling you. What time is it?"

"Leaving that for latter… It's 8 o'clock. We have to go eat some breakfast and our plain leaves at 11am. We'll be there at noon, Washington time, and we'll have lunch by then. Is that alright?"

"That's fine. Just eat a gigantic breakfast or you'll get hungry on the plain and you hate plain food."

"I don't know if I should be happy because you know that or be mad because you just basically said I'm almost always hungry."

"Are you going to be angry at the truth?"

"I hate you." Replied Marie, making a fake, but still very believable, wrathful expression.

"As if…"

Marie kissed Sam on the nose and pulled the linen away from his body.

"Go take a shower, boy, we leave in 30."

Little after one hour from that moment, the couple was at the airport and a few minutes after 11, the plain they were in took off. By 13h30m they had already left William R. Fairchild International airport and were at Peaks Brew Pub. She had the chilli, he chose a more natural and healthy meal. Marie loved that place and their food. Then Samuel drove Marie's car to E 4th Street and parking near Webster Park, in front of her childhood house.

2:40pm; three knocks on the door. Rose opened the door with the most enthusiastic movement: she knew exactly who it was. Rose hugged Sam first; she adored him like he was a part of the family and although they were only dating for two years, Sam already was family. As a mother, she couldn't wait for them to realize what they truly had, for them to realize the energy Rose felt, the chemistry between them, was something that would never fade away.

"Samuel, I've told you this a thousand times, but I'll keep saying it until I get tired. From Marie's list of boyfriends, you are most definitely my favorite."

"And again mother, you make me sound like a slut." Said Marie, as if it was a regular thing, turning her pride and honor into a barrier between them.

"Don't be silly, he knows what I mean and so do you."

"Nice to see you too, Rose."

Samuel put the bags near the staircase and smiled for he knew that, from the time he bent down to put the bags on the floor, Marie was "discretely" staring at his ass – she thought she was discrete about it, but she really wasn't.

"How was your trip, my darlings?"

"The hours flew by" Responded Marie, immediately raising her left arm with her palm turned to Sam. Without even looking, Samuel high-fived her perfectly.

Rose rolled her eyes while both of them walked away. "Big children" she thought "they are nothing but abnormally sized children".

"The house smells like barbecue, so I guess that's what you had for lunch, and from that I imagine dad is still outside. Am I right?"

"Yes, yes you are."

Marie ran out the back door and hugged her that in the meanwhile heard his daughter's voice and walked up to the kitchen. For a moment, Balthazar saw a little 10 year old girl running up to her father that just came home from a hunt.

"I still can't believe you came home on purpose for your 10 year reunion ball. I didn't think you liked your colleagues that much."

"I don't. I want to rub my success in their faces." She mocked.

"Ring on that finger, baby on that belly and everyone would be jealous."

"Jesus, father!" She whined. "And I thought you stopped being inappropriate when I became an adult."

"I saw that one coming." Whispered Sam.

"Don't talk to me in that tone, miss. You go to your room." Fake-yelled Balthazar. Marie glanced at him with furious eyes, also just playing, and then stopped.

"Seriously dad, that was not cool."

Marie turned around, but she was not mad, and walked upstairs, taking the bags with her. 19 steps were what it took to pass from the ground floor to the first one. She opened her bedroom door and threw herself into the bed. So many things happened in that room, so many good hazy memories that were kept safe inside her mind. She looked at the record-player and suddenly had the urge to listen to some music. She got up and opened the box that was under the bed. From all the vinyl records she picked an AC/DC record that she immediately put on the device, plugged this one in, turn it on and put the music on. Everyone always asked her why she chose to listen to vinyl when she could have thousands of songs in one tiny device. Her answer was always the same, and it would be that one, until she got old: "Vinyl records save the soul of the music in them. The sound is better; the music is more… alive."

She was so tired that she needed to sleep a little bit in her bed; she needed to be rested to go to the reunion. She lay down on the bed again and took her shoes off. By the time the record was half way into the 4th song, the door opened. Sam leaned against the wall and just starred at her.

"Yes, Samuel?" She queried, without opening her eyes, in the most relaxed position.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"Try to."

"Listening to Who made who?"

"If I can sleep with you snoring besides me, I can sleep to the sound of any loud music."

"I don't snore. I breathe loudly."

"You snore, Sam, every time you fall asleep on your back." She corrected him, sitting down and looking at him. "I have a question for you."

"Shoot." He said, walking to and laying on the other side of the bed.

"What did you fucking dream about?"

"Are you seriously still thinking about that? Leave it." He pulled her down and to him, putting one arm around her waist. Samuel than starred at her eyes, for a few seconds without saying anything and it made her smile.

"What?" By this moment, Ride on was playing.

"You're beautiful."

She smiled even more and put one hand on his cheek. "That was creepy." She said, with a smooth voice as if she was telling him she loved him. Sam laughed briefly and then kissed her gently, like he was touching the most precious thing in his world.

"Do you think two years is a considerable time?"

"Relatively. For example, our two years and all the crap we've been through count as 4 or 5. Why?"

"Nothing. I was just wondering."

"You wonder about weird things." She smiled and then kissed him again. They just stayed there, kissing, as if they were still teenagers and time needed desperately to be enjoyed and well spent. Little time would pass before they cuddle in each other's arms and fell asleep until five.

It was the end of the summer, mid-September, and the temperature was as high as in the beginning of the season. Marie was deadly sure that the autumn of 2015 was going to be the warmest one so far.

They got all dolled up and prepared to leave. The reunion would start around 7, there would be a live band, dinner would be served at the table and the crap that the organizers decided to have. Marie was sure she wasn't going to like it. She didn't like prom and for what they told her about the reunion it would be way to close to their prom. She put on the contact lenses and left her hair at a natural state. She put foundation on, some mascara and eyeliner, as well as some lip balm to keep her lips hydrated and shiny. She put on the usual perfume and wore the same necklace, but this time was a bracelet. She decided to wear the pearl earrings she brought. With her dress on and some black pumps on her feet she put her phone, wallet and keys on a small and fancy green purse and walked downstairs. Samuel was waiting for her there, alright in his suit, all dolled up, looking like an FBI agent – she loved it when he had to dress up like that, although she loved it too when he walked around the house with horrible sweatpants.

Samuel smiled and opened the outside door, ladies first. They took one of Balthazar's cars, a 67 red Porsche that he won at a poker match, and as they found themselves inside the place where the reunion was happening, Marie instantly grabbed Sam's hand, as an instinct. You could put any monster in front of her and you would see her grab a knife or a gun; but put Marie in the middle of a group of people she never really liked and you will find fear in her eyes.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"There are probably 100 people here. I only liked like… 10, maximum."

"Just forget that. Where is our table?"

"It's the one with the lilies in it. They sat us down with some of my friends. Gen, Kristen, Elias and Luke."

"That's a lot of high school friends, comparing to me. I don't know why you're scared."

"I'm not scarred. I'm uncomfortable. Besides, I spent all 4 years in the same high school. You were permanently the new kid. Now, I demand a glass of vodka." Sam smiled and went to get her a drink.

From the other corner of the room, a man starred at the girl that just walked in and was alone. Her hair was exactly the same, gorgeous as ever. The glasses were missing, as were the jeans, boots and leather jacket. He remembered one day, 11 years before that night, like it just happened. They were at the beach and she was wearing his jacket. It was autumn but the temperature was pretty close to 46 degrees: it was always like that in the Reservation.

Although he did not go to that high school, he was still there. He came with his best friend wife, Kathryn. Her husband was away in business and she did not want to go alone. He went with her because he really wanted to see some people, actually, one person – Marie.

He hadn't seen her in probably just as long as high school ended and she looked even more amazing. He took a big taste of his scotch and decided to walk up to her. By now, she was sitting at her table and two of her usual friends were already surrounding her. Gen and Elias, who got married to each other four years after graduation, seemed to be extremely excited with Marie's presence – they probably haven't seen her in a long time either.

In the surroundings of Jackson, Florida, Dean Winchester was sitting at a local pub drinking a beer and researching about the case he was in. It actually felt good handling cases by his own; maybe not because he was alone, but because he knew his little brother was somewhere with his girlfriend, making memories that made him feel like he was the happiest man on earth and that, maybe, the world wasn't as terrible as his job had taught him to believe.

Dean had a regular case of pagan gods that he wasn't really worried about: he was pretty close to finishing the job; he just had to find out how to kill that specific one. Castiel was not there, he was back upstairs doing… stuff.

In a couple of says Samuel would call him and ask if there was a new case. If Sam didn't call, Marie would. Sometimes Marie called the brothers so many times, immensely interested in knowing what were they hunting and what were they going to do about it that Dean believed very strongly she wanted to quit her job and become a hunter. Samuel always chose to ignore that idea: he pungently deemed it was best for her, safer, if she continued being a nurse and stayed at Ohio. Dean understood Sam's side of the thing, but the reality was, eventually, either Sam gave up the family business or Marie became part of the family business.

Marie had just started catching up with Gen and Elias when someone covered her eyes with their hands, from behind. She hated it when people did that.

She knew it wasn't Sam because it didn't feel like his hands; they were too rough and too cold. She couldn't feel the smell of Sam's shampoo nor cologne, so it could not be him. Billy was back in Ohio, so it couldn't be that son of a bitch. Elias was sitting in front of her and Luke would never do that.

"Take your hands off of me or I'll break them." She whispered so only the two of them would hear. Marie felt the person's hands become tense and then what was dark became light. She looked over her shoulder and found Jamie Blackwood. He was a Native American who lived in the Reservation. He was her first boyfriend ever – they started dating by the end of her junior year and broke up in mid-senior year. He still had the same dark eyes and dark hair; he was tall and beautiful, and his eyes seemed caring, but if you looked closer you would find a little evil from his past, maybe – no one would ever find out what that was. "Oh, Jamie, it's you!"

"That was creepy." He smiled, almost laughing "It's so nice to see you. How are you?"

"I'm good. What are you doing here?"

"I came with Kathryn, Joel's wife. He's out of town. Can I sit?"

"Yeah, sure." In that moment, Marie was presented with a drink before her, a nice colorful cocktail that she would have never picked. Sam sat next to her and she became surrounded by Jamie and Samuel. "What is this? Did a unicorn vomit a rainbow into my glass?"

"Keep an open mind and taste it." Said Sam. "It's an Irish Vandal." "You are the vandal, ruining my night with girlish drinks." She then took a sip and stood very still while tasting it. She did it again and looked at Samuel Winchester. "Damn you." "Good, huh?" "Asshole. So, these are my friends from school: Elias, Gen and Jamie. Guys, this is Sam, my boyfriend." "Nice to meet you." Responded Samuel, as Gen waved, Jamie politely smiled and Elias said: "You will love tonight. We have many embarrassing stories about your beloved." 


	17. Chapter 16 - Strigoi mort

Chapter 16 – Strigoi mortIn a small city in Nebraska, the night had fell over every house in the village and he forest that surrounded them was now all dark. From someone secured in their house, the forest seemed silent and calm, as if there was nothing that could harm them; but that was not the thought of a young man in the woods trying to escape from something that no one could abscond from. The sound moved around the forest in a straight line, or so did the man think. His feet did their best not to stumble on any rocks and his heart did all it could to feed oxygen to the muscles that tried so hard to give to the man the velocity he needed to run away from what was chasing him. There was only one audible breath and it belonged to the 30 year old man who was in town for a camping trip with his brothers and some friends. He had left the camping site to make a call to his wife that was at her sick mother's house back in Montana. His feet did their best not to stumble on anything, but their best was not enough. The man fell but nothing attacked him, not immediately. He stood up and he could still hear the amazingly loud sound of a beating heart, a muscle working slowly but very, terribly, impossibly loud. He looked around and saw nothing, but then he heard a noise and some leaves fell from the trees. As soon as the man turned his green eyes to the top of the trees, he was attacked and his scream was heard throughout the forest. Dean was already in town waiting for his brother in a diner. Dressed in a black suit, Dean Winchester was sitting at a booth, drinking some hot coffee and enjoying a piece of cherry pie when the door opened and he looked up. His brother was wearing his black suit with a blue tie but he did not come alone. Behind him came his small stature girlfriend, with her hair straightened and tied up in a beehive, wearing a simple and long sleeved black dress. Anyone would consider her a very serious and important lady if they just didn't look at her feet for she was wearing a pair of red sneakers that reminded Dean of a teenage girl. "What the hell are you doing here?" Asked Dean, surprised, getting up and, with a smile, hugging Marie with the most welcoming embrace. "I got a week off. Did you miss me?" "Yeah, right." Dean joked, as the three of them sat on the table. "Are you joining us on the case?" "If you'll let me." "Sure, sure… Just don't screw anything up." "So, what's the case?" Wanted Samuel to know, still entertained by the fact that Dean completely ignore his brother's arrival. "Three people have died in the forest this last week. They appeared with bites on their necks." "So, vampires." Supposed Sam. "But get this: their hearts were missing; they were ripped out of their chests." "What the…?" Said Marie. "A new body came in this morning; we have to go check it out." "Okay. I'll go do some research of local history and pass deaths, maybe something like this happen before." "Are you scared of dead bodies?" "No. But you're portraying FBI agents. There aren't any FBI agents travelling in groups of three, from what I've heard. Bring me a souvenir." She joked, at the end. "Alright, let's get some lunch, then." In a couple of hours, Dean and Sam were showing their fake badges that easily got them access to basically everything. Under the alias of John Simons and Louis Wells, the Winchester brothers entered the morgue and were shown the freshly found but not as freshly killed body. It was a thirty-five year old man who was missing for three days before his remains were found. Once again, the man had a maximum of two drops of blood and the heart was ripped out the chest, His sternum was cracked and the bones of his thorax were opened reminding Sam of the blood eagle so commonly known as a Viking torture. On the neck, one impression of teeth, but not just fangs, the whole set of teeth, like a human bite, but from a person whose teeth were all broken and similar to spikes – perfectly triangular shaped and seriously far apart from each other. In the open wound on the thorax, on the massive hole the dead man's body had, Dean found one nail, a nail that… well: it was just a normal nail. Maybe this monster was human shaped. The motel room would be found empty if anyone went inside. Marie had given up the research on the internet and decided to visit the town's library, where she grab every single book about the weird crimes and myths that followed the village. FBI agents Simons and Wells met Marie at the library and discretely passed her the finger nail. She rose her eyes from the books and looked at them: "It's a human nail. That was in the body?" "Yes, stuck in a freaking human prime rib." "Well, putting that aside, I did some old fashioned research on this town's history." Marie turned an old discredited book towards the boys. "Line 15." _Five years ago I received firsthand the testimony of a local woman that had been terrorized by such a creature. When she was only 24 years old, Kelly (let's call her that in order to keep her real identity a secret) was victim of spouse abuse. I was her neighbor for the 5 years she had been married and I can assure you the man (lets name him Al) knew how to keep his violence a secret. On a cold night of October, Kelly came to me with her clothing drenched in blood. The dress that was once white and that made her seem like she was some heavenly creature was just as red as the lipstick color every other women wore that time. She had killed her husband and she found I was the only person she could trust. I decided, fortunately or not so much, to help her conceal her husband's death. I had never thought a creature so sweet as Kelly could ever do what I found she had done. The knife was still in Al's dead body. The kitchen was a sea of blood for she had stabbed her husband at least 20 times. We buried him under the oak tree the man used to stand underneath while he drank a full bottle of whiskey every Saturday night. We decided to forget what had happened and Al's name was not referred between us two until a very cold December night. The police closed the case and just took it for granted Al ran away. No one ever knew Kelly was under spouse abuse for as long as she was and I never really took what she did against her._ _ One very cold December night, Kelly knocked on my door, desperate. Her eyes seemed ever so frightened. 'I have seen Al' she said to me. I told her I didn't understand what she meant and she began to explain, still shaking like she was a very week and fragile plant under the most terrible storm. Kelly told me someone knocked on the door and that, when she answered, no one was there. As she closed the door and turned around, she found her husband's rotting corpse sitting in the living room. The light from the fireplace made him seemed even more horrible. When she turned on the light, he was gone and that's when she ran to me. I took her as a fool. I honestly did not believe her but perhaps I should. Only 4 nights after that, 4 nights of 4 days without even a sight of Kelly, I went to check on her. She refused to talk to me._ _ Only latter would I find that Al didn't just appear that first night, but every single night for a month. Every time I saw Kelly, she seemed more week and fragile, as if she was, indeed, a small plant in the middle of the most vicious storm; a plant that was losing the battle against the wind. One afternoon I decided to visit her and what I found was more disturbing than that October night. Kelly was lying on the ground and looked so pale, as if there was no blood on her veins. Her chest had been ripped open and her heart was missing, but her eyes was closed, as if Kelly found her death was the best ending her story could have had._ "I know, it sounds a little crazy, but I then did some research and I found an article about Paul Williams a man that was reported missing in October 1932 and, a month older, an article about Eleanor Williams and her missing heart… and blood." "Hm." "That book is all about Strigoi Mort. They die, come back to life and kill people. They were first known for draining the life out of their remaining family members until they died, but then stories were born where they suck out the blood of people. I found only a couple of testimonies where the Strigoi ate the hearts and in those articles it was told that they ate the hearts for they could only be killed if their hearts where removed. They are pretty much ghosts, but with bodies and a thirst for blood and flesh." "I believe this is the least credible case we have ever had." "What about the fairies?" Asked Sam to Dean. "Oh yeah… Nothing beats the fairies." Marie laughed and then finished: "Although they use their rotting bodies, their hearts remain pretty fresh and their flesh only decays to level of mummy state and they stay that way for all eternity. Killing them is said to be pretty easy. They sleep during the day in their graves and can be killed if you cut off their hearts and burn the body." "That's it?" "Yeah, the tricky part if just finding out what it is." "So… All we need to do is find out were Paul Williams is buried?" "I figured that out already. Or I think I did. Their house still exists and guess what you is visible in the hills behind the house, less than 16 yards away." Marie spoke her final words while handing out to Dean the immensely old journal where Eleanor's death was reported. The picture that was printed along with the words describing the crime was of Williams's old house and the hills behind it. "The oak tree." That had been the quickest and weirdest research on a case ever done, but the leads were solid. They waited to the next morning, for the sun was coming down, and hoped there was no new body. Although they wanted to stop the killings, fighting a Strigoi during night time was said to be one of the dumbest things a hunter could do and since they had no clue whom the next victim was, there was nothing to be done. Usually the legends talked about Strigoi only attacking members of their family, but the myths also talk about unicorns shooting rainbows of their asses and vampires being afraid of garlic pizza. They decided to attack the place at 6 am; probably the time when the streets would be almost empty for everyone was still getting up. Fortunately for them, the field where the tree was at was turned into a green park, but the place where the tree stood was untouched. With no one yet at the park, luckily for the hunters, the Winchester brothers started to dig and it was only at the 3rd attempt, almost at 7:30am when they found something. People were starting to arrive: a couple got to the park and found the three unknown people digging up something and picked up the phone two minutes ago, probably to call the police. The station was 10 minutes away: they still had sometime. The creature seemed to be sleeping soundly, almost as if it was dead (and during the day, it really was). Marie opened the mummified chest and found a red and beating heart. She took a cloth out of her bag and covered the heart and main veins; underneath it, she cut off the heart and blood gushed out in a significant amount but not as enough as in a human body. Her hands and the piece of cloth were completely red as Sam stood by and watched for people approaching or a police car. The quickly set fire to the body and ran to the car that stood 5 yards away. "Drive, drive, drive!" They would stay in town for another day, just to make sure no one died. Some would put in question if the killer wasn't Eleanor, but there was no possibility: she had no heart. Two days from there, the Winchester brothers would be back hunting in a duo and Marie back at the Hospital, taking care of people instead of ripping hearts out of dead bodies. 


	18. Chapter 17: I am human

Chapter 17 – I am human The night had fallen over Carbonado, WA and the Winchester brothers were on to a new case. Between two and three hours away from Port Angeles and only one hour away from the capital of Washington, five men had been committed to the nearest Mental Institution for their minds had gone on a fast ride with madness being the destination. Two of them had died 5 days after being admitted, death by suicide – or so the local authorities thought. There was no record of something similar in that small and nice town's past – Sam checked it very thoroughly. They were at their motel room; Sam searching every book and every website even remotely related to what was happening in town and Dean was on its way to talk to the victim's husbands. It seemed like a rough case to solve and they had already done one questioning to each family: the Thorssen's, the Lutz, the Gilligan's, the Clearwater's and most recently the Pierce's. Dean was certain they must have missed something that connected the four men to each other. It was when Dean reached the second's wife house that he noticed something that stood on the coffee table, something he saw on the balcony at the Thorssen's kitchen: a box of matches from the Black Oyster Pub, the only pub in town. Upon asking, the three last wives confirmed that the deceases were regular costumers at the mentioned pub. "But how can a damn pub make five men go crazy?" Wanted Dean to know. "Maybe it's another case of contaminated food, like in that Leviathan case we had." "I covered that, the owner says they have deals with the same producers and distributors of 20 years ago and they have no new stuff on menu. All they have new is the bartender… Damn, that was a foxy lady... That snake tattoo on the end of her back." Sam rolled his eyes as his phone sent a sound to the air, announcing a text message. "Is it my pseudo sister in law?" Sam answered his brother with just a smile. "Is she already complaining about Cas?" "No, not yet." "Yeah, just wait until he shows up naked and covered in bees." "I think Cas is way passed that. So get this, I think I got something, but it's really a stupid idea." "It's better than nothing. Shoot." "I have been thinking about this for the last hour but now that you talked about a girl with a tramp stamp it's really the only possible thing, at least that I have knowledge off. I mean, we've been at this for three days now." "I said shoot not make the words ballet their way to my ears, damn it." "I think it's something called _Encantado_. It basically takes the shape of beautiful creatures and makes people descend to madness until they are in such suffering that they kill themselves." "Why?" "There are local legends that say they feed on the soul of that person, stealing whatever makes them hold together. With the 'light', as they call it, gone, they just rot inside until they can't take it no more." "How come I've never heard of it?" "Well, usually the Encantado takes the form of a water snake, during the day, to pass under the radar, and it lives in a very specific part of the Amazonas." "Like in South America? What the hell is it doing in the states?" "This is not the first time a creature has travelled far away from its original home. We have met a few in the last years." "Okay, let's say it is, indeed, this Encantado, or whatever. How do we kill it?" "Well… That's the tricky part. There's not much lore about that. It is said a black wood stake drenched in the last victim's blood during a full moon and right in the heart will do the trick. Burning the dead body is the final step so the creature won't be able to come back." "That seems pretty simple." "Yeah, except the next full moon is two days away, Dean. This town doesn't need any more dead nor crazy people. " "Well, we'll just have to catch it first." Dean and Sam made their way to the pub that night and waited until it closed. They saw the waitress, named Phoebe, leaving the building with some guy they did not know: it was probably her next victim. They got out of the car ant trying to follow them discreetly. It was only when she took him to an alley that the Winchesters found their shot. As they got to her, she was already starting to feed on him. His eyes were cold, fixed on hers, and her mouth was opened, sucking this blue light out of his mouth. Her face was no longer beautiful for her skin was all scaly looking and her eyes were completely colored in silver, like the moon light upon their heads. The creature was distracted from her snack when the Winchester tried to catch her. Fortunately, she wasn't stronger than the next girl weighting 140 pounds. The _Encantados_ had no other power than being very attractive and steeling your reason to stay sane and alive. They start with seducing man and moved to enchant you with their voices and eyes. They, they'd feed and in a few days you would kill yourself for all the memories you retained were the bad ones, you knew nothing of love, nor happiness, and the faces of your loved ones were known, but every time you looked at them you would see horrifying destroyed faces, like the ones of demons, and you would not associate them to anything good. The Winchesters trapped her in the motel room, tied to a chair, with an eye fold and a cloth on her mouth so she could not speak nor captivate you with silver treasure looking eyes. The man went home, not remembering what happened and Sam swore he would check on him the next day. It was around 10 a.m. when the man woke up, on that Saturday morning. Peter, that was his name, went down the stairs to get some breakfast. His wife was not in bed anymore, so he figured she'd be in the kitchen or living room. As he went down the stairs, he felt kind of weird, like something was missing, as if a part of his brain was still sleeping. He kept hearing something similar to whispering, a woman singing as if she was a mermaid, right into his brain. He felt bumped up, but did not know why. The voice of that non existing sea woman made him feel better, just like a child when hearing a lullaby. Olivia, Peter's wife, served him pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, his favorite. Back home in Oregon, that's what his mother made him every Saturday and Sunday morning, but when Peter took a piece to his mouth, it first tasted bland, then it got worst and by the third bite its flavor indicated the food was rotten. And during the day, it would just get worst. When Sam rang the bell, latter that afternoon, Peter had got worst faster than the other man: the evolution of the disease depended on how strong the man was. A few minutes before Sam got there, Olivia found Peter sleeping in the couch, having a nightmare, screaming in pain: "No daddy, don't." When he opened his eyes, he said he was dreaming about one night, much like many others, when his father got home, drunk, and used his belt to assault his son, that was only 10 at the time. Peter complained it felt so real that his back hurt, it really hurt. He walked up to a mirror and took his shirt off and although Olivia saw nothing, Peter found wounds on his body, as if they were freshly made, instead of his faint scars. The man panicked. When Sam got there, dressed as an FBI agent, asking to speak with Mr. Ferguson, claiming he was checking up on him since he was seen with the woman he was said to be drugging those other man with substances that made them delusional and depressed, Olivia informed it might be too late, she said her husband was not doing so well. Sam found Peter lying on the couch with a lost look on his face, a crazy look, like he had left his sanity some country far far away. Olivia said they had been talking on taking him to the doctor and Sam said he was probably better on the asylum. Sam also informed he would stay outside Peter's room to keep him to end like what was, at that night, 4 of the 5 (now 6) affected men. For the second day and night, Dean and Sam exchanged places. Dean was assign in the loony bin to keep Peter and the other remaining victim alive while the younger man was sent to the motel room to watch the victim. Phoebe looked week. Although Encantados only attack people for 13 days every 13 years, they must consume at least 13 souls and Phoebe was running out of juice. When Sam entered the room and Dean left, she felt warm and hopeful… If only her eyes were not covered. Sam's presence was stronger, his light was bigger than his brothers, and he had more happy moments than him. She felt his love for his brother and his dead family just like she sensed on Dean. He had a love waiting for him, she heard it in his voice when he said to Dean "I'll see you in a few hours." It was the kind of happiness every one hopes to achieve, that kind of happiness that makes its presence known in everyway possible. At the same time, Phoebe felt the pain. The weight of once having demon blood on him and being the reason his mother died. Being the man who let Lucifer out and the thousand times he let his brother down. His mothers, dad's, Bobby's and Jessica's death. The darkness and sadness it left on his soul when he became evil. The memories he had from the cage. Oh, how Phoebe wished she could be free and steal the light out of his eyes. All she could do was mumble a song, but when Sam noticed what she was trying to do, he hit her in the head, leaving her unconscious for a few hours. Sam did not sleep that night. He could not sleep while that monster wasn't dead. A small jar of Peter's blood that Sam took while he was sleeping was in the mini bar waiting to be used. When the moon started to rise, Sam got a call from Dean: Homer Pierced had killed himself during dinner hour, in front of everyone. According to the fake FBI agent, Peter was moved to a secure room where there was nothing he could use to kill himself. There was no certainty that Peter would get better after the monster was dead, but it was his only shot. While Sam used the stake to kill the monster, Dean had just left the ward to get back to the motel and help his brother burn the body. The next morning, there was no more Encantados in Carbonado and after they called the hospital, they were informed Peter was getting better, and by that rhythm he would be out in a few days. When Sam opened the door of Marie's house so him and his brother would enter, they were surprised with Cas standing right there with a face that transmitted bad news. "She didn't call you because she didn't wanted to interrupt your case…" "What happened? Where is she?" "Upstairs." Sam ran to their room, but entered quietly. He found his girlfriend lying on the bed, covered by some sheets in her blue flannel pajama. She was in silence, but a heavy atmosphere filled the room. "Marie? What's wrong?" His voice was soft. Sam was worried. He sat next to her and Marie looked at him. Her eyes were red from crying and her eyes had lost some of the light they had. She sat down and let Sam hug her. With her face hiding on his chest, she started to tremble, customary of someone who was, once more, on the edge of tears. "My dad, Sam. My dad is dead." 


End file.
